Enemies overcome
by Celonhael
Summary: Enemies overcome, and an encounter in the forest.
1. Chapter 1

The sun rose red, burning and bright. There was a slight breeze, but not much. It actually felt cool today, a pleasant change.

Sango rose early, heading out to wash for the day. Everyone else was sleeping in; Miroku, Shippo, and Kagome. The first up had been Kaede, who had told them last night she would be up early to go check on the ill villagers. While most had come through ok, two were elderly and weren't fighting it off easily.

The Snowglobe was placed in Kaede's small sleeping room, where she could enjoy it, but it wasn't in the line of sight for the Kageri.

When Kagome and DarkWind had returned, later, Sango had been very worried. Both looked very subdued, quiet. DarkWind was obviously trying to cheer Kagome up, trying to cheer them _all_ up, but it wasn't working very well. Something was obviously on Kagome's mind, and she turned in early. DarkWind occasionally left Sango and Miroku, saying he was doing something for Kagome, but would not say what, exactly.

Sango was worried about InuYasha.

He hadn't been seen all day, nor all evening, and it had been a new moon last night.

She was pretty sure he hadn't gone far - he had obviously made it this far without being devoured. He obviously knew how to lay low.

After she had washed, and was getting dressed again, she was startled by the appearance of DarkWind.  
He surprised her by calling out to her before approaching, aware now of how she reacted if accidentally walked in on.

She quickly pulled on the rest of her clothing, and called back to him, telling him he could approach.

He walked from the forest, his face pale, "Forgive me for following you, Sango-Beauty, but I was not sure what to do with myself."

Sango looked at him, confused, "What do you mean?"

"Kagome is sleeping, as is Miroku-Monk and the child. I did not want to wake them, and I felt too nervous staying within the hut. I had hoped you would not mind some company?"

Sango looked at the Kageri, worried, "Nervous? Are you alright, DarkWind?"

He smiled faintly, trying to look fine, "Ah, yes, of course. Nushi is simply...going through some hard times now, and...I am not sure how to help her."

Subconsciously, DarkWind took his braid, and held it in both hands, lightly tugging on it as if testing rope, "You are certain I am not bothering you?"

"No, of course not. Not bothering me, I mean. Is...there anything you want to talk about, DarkWind? You look sort of...lost."

DarkWind blinked at her, startled, and then smiled, "You are most kind, Sango-Beauty. All of Nushi's friends are so kind to me. I am merely...undergoing...something new."

"New?" Sango sat on the riverside, and patted the ground for him to sit beside her.

DarkWind lowered himself to the ground, gazing into the river, "Sango-Beauty, when I was Broken...and Kagome re-claimed me as her Kageri..."

"Yes?"

"Something...happened...to me."

Sango studied his face. He seemed so pale, "Happened? What do you mean?"

He sighed, "This is the problem. It is so difficult to explain, because I do not understand it myself. It is so hard trying to put something into words when you yourself do not understand any of it. Let me see...as Kageri, I...I cannot do things without my master's permission. I can not attack someone, I cannot act on my own. I have told you this."

"Yes, that's right."

"Well...when I am awake, and have a master, it is as if...my...emotions are locked down as well. Under chains. Even my thoughts are taken from me. I exist only for my master. Do you understand what I am saying?"

"Your...emotions are locked down?"

He watched her, then spoke, "May I speak to you of your family?"

Sango blinked, then nodded.

The Kageri started to speak again, "Imagine if one day, you awoke, and could no longer remember very much of your family. Your father, or your brother. You have not _forgotten_ them, but every time you started to think of them, you found yourself thinking about something else. As if...the thoughts of your family were suddenly coated in oil and you could not exactly _grasp_ them with your mind."

Sango looked at him, agast, "That's terrible!"

"But because of this, you did not mourn them, or miss them. You are saved from this sadness."

"But you don't remember the wonderful things, either. The happiness you had with them. Memories." She fell silent for a moment, then spoke softly, "Remembering my father makes me sad, but it makes me happy at the same time. Because I remember him. The love I had for him. The happiness he gave me. I wouldn't trade that, not even to never have the sadness again."

"I agree. And that is what has happened. I have suddenly found myself able to think about things I have not, for a very long time." He looked down at his braid, and tugged it, "Last eve, something reminded me of the Crystal Spire, and the memories came to me. I remembered Mallaki, and...the grief crushed me."

"I'm so sorry, DarkWind."

He smiled faintly at her, "Thank you, Sango-Beauty. You are a good friend."

"Is that...I mean, is that why you left so quickly yesterday?"

DarkWind nodded, "Kagome followed me, and...I explained to her what has happened. She was happy for me. And she..."

The Kageri looked out over the river, his voice soft, "She held me as I wept. She actually allowed me my grief. She _eased_ it, by being there."

Sango said nothing, but saw a great deal in his eyes. She started to get a bad feeling about it all.

DarkWind spoke again, "I am the luckiest of Kageri, in having Kagome as my master. She forgives so much."

"Well...she's like that. But is this what is new to you? Having feelings?"

"Having feelings while I have a master, yes. But I am worried, as well."

"About what?"

"If I have changed this much by being Broken, how else have I changed? Perhaps I have changed in a bad way, bad for Nushi."

Sango smiled, "Somehow I doubt that, but that's something we'll all have to wait and see, I guess."

She paused for a second, then spoke, ""DarkWind, did you and InuYasha have a fight that night? You've been different towards him. And Kagome is...like she was when they first fought. But I haven't seen him at all yesterday. He didn't come to Kaede's hut last night, and it was the new moon, too. I'm worried."

"InuYasha-Warrior was, indeed, human last eve. But he was safely hidden in the forest, high in a tree. That is where he spent the night, far up where no demons could find him."

"How do you know that?"

DarkWind looked at Sango, "Nushi asked that I find him, while remaining invisible. That I keep an eye on him, protect him, if need be. I checked on him, all night. Had he been under attack, I would have saved him."

Sango sighed, "She still loves him."

"She does. She finally admitted it to herself, Sango-Beauty, I felt as much. And the minute she heard the Priestess' name, she just...exploded. I can tell you, Kagome knows InuYasha would not go out with her wounded to find the Priestess. She is lashing out, wanting to just end it all. It is...how do you say...'hot potato'."

"What do you mean?"  
"It was a knee-jerk reaction. She reacted badly once she heard Kikyo's name, and took it out on InuYasha-Warrior. She feels guilty, but cannot even apologise because she fears he will begin talking about his feelings again. She is feeling very...trapped. Trapped by all her emotions. Emotions regarding me, emotions regarding InuYasha-Warrior, emotions regarding the Priestess, emotions regarding her own ability to use the Shikon. She is drowning in so many emotions. I do not know how to help her."

"I wish I knew something as well," Sango said, and stood up. DarkWind rose as well, and followed her back.

Kagome had risen shortly after DarkWind left, and after mentally searching for him and finding him with Sango, she set about making breakfast. She had a sudden urge for oatmeal, for some reason, and set about boiling the water. She wasn't sure if anyone else wanted any or not, but she decided to make a big pot with honey and berries. Shippo, certainly, would eat seconds.

She lit a fire outside, not wanting to heat up the hut too much, and set up the camping grill, a metal grill that sits over the fire. She set the water to boiling, and started reading the directions on the back of the bag.

She had pretty much figured out to make it properly when a shadow fell over her.

Kagome looked up to see InuYasha standing there, looking down at her, anger on his face, arms crossed. He looked like he was more than ready to fight.

"And am I _allowed_ to talk to you today?" he asked, his voice hard, "Do I have your _permission_ to speak in your presence?"

"As long as you're not going to start trying to explain the events of the other night, or mention a certain priestess, certainly. Do you want some oatmeal for breakfast?"

Kagome hoped to put it behind her. If she remained calm, maybe she could apologise for how she had treated him yesterday...

"No, I don't want any of that crap for breakfast. And I sure as hell don't want to eat anything _you've_ made."

"Well then, I think there's some fruit still in my bag," she said calmly, "Go see what you can find."

He glared at her. Why wasn't she angry? She was supposed to be angry! He had gone over everything he wanted to say, and it always included them probably screaming at each other. He'd actually feel better if she was still angry at him.

"I'm not hungry," he muttered, looking away. Now that he was here, everything he had planned on saying seemed to make no sense, and he had no idea what to do now.

"I think there's still some juice, unless you'd rather tea? There's some room there under the pot to boil water, if you wanted to wa-"

He crouched beside her, suddenly in her face, "I don't want oatmeal and I don't want tea! I want to talk to you, damnit!"

"Then talk," she started measuring out the oatmeal.

He grabbed her arm, "_Look_ at me, damnit!"

The oatmeal went everywhere, mostly into the fire itself, "InuYasha, look what you did!"

"_Will you look at me!?"_

Sighing, she turned, and met his eyes, "What?"

"I want to explain what happened the other night."

Kagome held up a hand, "That's one of the two things I said no to. Either change the topic, or go away."

"Godsdamnit!"

She turned back to the oatmeal package, and tried to measure out some again.

"Do you honestly think," he hissed, "That I could go run off when you were lying in Kaede's hut after having an arrow cut out of you!? You think I could do that!?"

Unable to speak, she fought for a way to tell him. To tell him no, she knew he couldn't do that. But she had no idea how to start, and she looked back at the fire.

InuYasha misread it.

"That's _it!_"

InuYasha startled Kagome by suddenly grabbing her wrists and standing, yanking her to her feet. Before she could say anything, InuYasha had grabbed her, thrown her over his shoulder, and turned, running towards the forest.

_"Put me down!"_ she shrieked in fury, "You jerk!"

"Not until I find someplace where you'll listen to me! I'm tired of all this, this stupid fighting! I'm not doing it anymore!"

"I'll 'sit' you! I swear I will!"

"Go ahead!" he yelled back, lunging up into a treetop, "You'll probably break your own leg when I go down, but I'll be fine!"

Hanging over his shoulder, looking at the world upside down, was scary enough, but suddenly seeing the ground dissapear out from in under his feet, freaked her out. She screamed, grabbing the back of InuYasha's haori for some purchase.

He landed somewhat roughly, on a thick branch, grabbing the trunk with one hand to steady himself, "Stop squirming, I'll drop you!"

"Go back down go back down go back down _aaaaaaahhhhhhhhh!"_

"Stop screaming! My _ears_!"

"I'm going to kill you InuYasha, see if I don't!" she screamed, hanging upside down, "There won't be enough left of you to fill a teaspoon!"

Setting his feet, he grabbed her by the waist, and pulled, yanking her upright, setting her down on her feet. Her hair fell into her face, wild, her face bright red with the blood having rushed to it. She was suddenly dizzy. She grabbed his hands at her waist, "Let me go!" and tried to twist away.

"Stop it!" he yelled, grabbing her arm as she twisted away, "We're off the ground, where do you think you're going?"

She pushed her hair out of her face, "Anywhere but here!"

The tree they were in swayed alarmingly. InuYasha pushed her to the side until she was against the trunk of the tree. She wrapped her arms around it to steady herself.

"You're 20 feet up, stop jumping around," he said, exasperated.

"You take me down out of here right _now_!" she yelled.

InuYasha crossed his arms, "No. Not until we talk this out."

"You _jerk!_" she yelled at him, hugging the tree, "You big fat _jerk!"_

_~Nushi!?~_

~DarkWind!~

~What has happened!? You are upset!~

~InuYasha's being a _**jerk**__!~_ Kagome complained.

_~Do you need me?~_

Kagome wanted to say yes. She wanted the Kageri to come and rescue her. She was angry and embarassed at the fact she had been picked up and carted off like a sack of rice. She wanted to be able to basically thumb her nose at him, showing him she wasn't defenseless, she had a Kageri to help her out.

But that wasn't dealing with the problem on her own. She wasn't a child, to scream to be rescued whenever something happened she didn't like. And it would be cruel to InuYasha.

_~No.~_

~Nushi?~

~I'll deal with it. Thank you.~

~Yes, Nushi.~

Kagome glared daggers at the hanyou.

He watched her. This was better. He had expected an angry Kagome.

"Now listen to me."

"What choice do I have!?" she yelled, "I'm stuck in a _tree_!"

"Will you just shut up and let me talk!?"

"Fine."

InuYasha watched her for a second, then spoke.

"I met Kikyo around the time we found that village for the first time. The one with the hanyou."

Kagome said nothing, only glared.

"She asked me about DarkWind, and...I lied. I told her it was that one Naraku had."

"You expect me to believe that you lied to Kikyo."

"I _did!"_

"Why?"

"Because, I...I knew she would try to kill him. DarkWind. And I didn't want you and her at each other. When I saw her again, later, it slipped that he was bonded with you. But I _told_ her, Kagome, to leave DarkWind alone. That as long as he was bonded with you, he was ok. I _told_ her to leave him alone because I saw what happened when he was taken from you before, and I didn't want you to be like that again!"

"So you've met her twice now, in the forest."

"_And came back to you!"_

"You _always_ came back to me," she said, angry, "After she pushed you away. But it really doesn't matter-"

"_Stop saying that!_" he yelled, suddenly moving to stand beside her, leaning over her, "I don't believe you anymore!"

Kagome blinked over her shoulder at him, "You don't _believe_ me!?"

"No, I don't!"

"You...can't just decide I love you! That's not how it works!"

He spoke lowly, upset, but still angry, "You said it before, you said it a long time, but you were lying."

"I was not!"

"You let me hold you in that cave!" he said, "And you held me! At your house, when you woke from that nightmare! You put your arms around me!"

"I was frightened!"

"That night when I was going to Master Akira's-"  
"I was worried about you!" Kagome yelled over her shoulder, clinging to the tree, "You're my friend and I was worried!"

"That wasn't the look of a friend, Kagome," he said, standing very close to her, voice low and intense, "I saw what was in your eyes...and it wasn't friendship. I know you have feelings for me. I know."

Kagome looked away, angry, "Are you going to put me on the ground, or what?"

He spoke, his voice still soft, "Not until you look me in the eye and tell me you only care about me as a friend. If you do that, I'll take you down."

She looked out over the forest. The sun was brilliant, and it highlighted the land below beautifully. Up here the air was more chilly than lower to the ground, and she shivered. She could see Kaede's hut up here, and the rest of the village. If she squinted, she could probably see Sango and DarkWind walking back from the river.

"Kagome."

She forced herself to speak calmly, "I'm not going through that again, InuYasha. I explained it all to you before. I'm not letting myself be walked on."

"Godsdamnit, I won't do that anymore!"

She looked back at him, glaring, "You've said that before! And you keep doing it! You can't help yourself, InuYasha! It's like you're addicted to her!"

_Why are we doing this?_ she despaired, _Why are we rehashing all this crap, over and over? Why can't we just stop?_

"I could have stayed with her before, but I didn't! I always came back here, to you!"

"Why are you even doing this!?" Kagome suddenly yelled, "I'm giving you leave to go to her! I'm letting you go! 6 months ago you would have be grateful I wasn't putting pressure on you! You're supposed to be happy, you idiot!"

"Happy!? When you look at me and tell me you don't care about me?! Trying to push me off on someone else!? How is that supposed to make me happy!?"

"Because you're free now to be with her! You don't have to feel guilty anymore, torn anymore!"

InuYasha slapped a hand over his face, muttering, "Gods give me strength not to strangle her!"

"Now _you_ listen to _me_."

InuYasha lowered his hand, and watched her, angry.

"I will accept what you say, when you say you didn't tell Kikyo about the white jade. I was angry, and I over reacted. I should have known that she would probably already know about using it."

"Good-"

"And I accept that you wouldn't have left with me hurt. That...that's not like you. I'm sorry. I was angry, and I wanted to lash out."

"I-"

_"But_," she interrupted him, "You tell her to leave him alone. She is not to touch DarkWind. You tell her to mind her own _business_! DarkWind is not going to hurt anyone, and he's not interested in the Shikon, but I will _not_ allow her to hurt him!"

InuYasha blinked at her, shocked, "You...what?"

"You heard me! I don't care what she does, but she leaves him alone! You tell her if she tries that again she'll answer to me!"

"K-Kagome." InuYasha stared, shocked, and very uneasy. Kagome was threatening Kikyo?

Kagome looked at him, and grew angry, "Oh don't worry, I won't hurt her. But she'll need a new bow if she shoots it at DarkWind again, that's a promise!"

"You...you don't mean that." He spoke nervously.

She narrowed her eyes, "Oh yes I do. I mean it completely. I'm not having _anyone_ hurt him! _No one!_"

InuYasha stared at her, then moved forward, taking her arm, "What are you saying? Why are you protecting him!?"

"What?! What kind of question is that?"

He looked at her, eyes wide, and tightened his grip, "Are you...do you have _feelings_ for him?"

Kagome's face suddenly flushed, and she looked away, "You're asking stupid questions. Now take me down."

He leaned closer to her, bringing his face close to hers, facing the side of her face as she looked away. He was so close his nose almost touched her cheek, completely in her face, "He's _leaving_, Kagome. He's not staying, _remember_!? Why are you doing this? He's going to go back to wherever it is he came from!"

"You don't need to remind me," Kagome pulled her arm from his grasp, "Now are you taking me down or not?"

He watched her, growing more and more uneasy. She had never denied it. She hadn't denied having feelings for the Kageri.

"Kagome, tell me you don't-"

"This conversation is stupid, InuYasha, stop it. Whatever you thinking, stop."

Kagome let go of the tree trunk, and turned to him. She reached out, and for a second he thought she was going to embrace him. But instead she took his shoulders, and turned him, so he was facing away from her.

"Down. Now."

InuYasha said nothing, just crouched slightly, and she hopped up onto his back. Silently, he hopped down to the ground, and she slid off his back, heading back towards Kaede's hut, muttering about all her water having boiled away.

He watched her, silent.

She hadn't denied it.


	2. Death of BloodStar

After breakfast, the little group milled about, not sure what to do. Chores had been done, water had been pulled.

In short, they were bored.

As usual, when they were bored and nothing needed to be done, they saw to their weapons, making sure everything was ready.

Kagome was looking over her bow, seated outside on the step to Kaede's hut, testing the string. It needed to be waxed. It had been used out in the rain once too often, gotten wet one too many times. The wood was good wood, and took the water with no problems, but once the string got wet, it could become useless.

DarkWind phased into place beside her, holding the second string for her, that he had gotten from her backpack at her request. She was glad now she had bought the second string last week.

Kagome stood, and placed a leg over the bow, standing with the butt end of the bow against the inside of her left foot, running up under her right leg, and into her right hand. Lady Kaede had shown her how to do this, so it wouldn't spring apart in her hands. There was unbelievable tension in a strung bow.

Cautiously, Kagome bent the bow, letting the string go loose, and pulled the string off the top end of the bow. She felt the pressure in the wood, and carefully let it relax. The wood portion of the bow stretched out until it was almost in a perfect line.

"I don't know if that one can be saved, or if I should just toss it," she said, handing it to DarkWind.

The Kageri took the string, opening it up, looking at it, as Kagome replaced the new string. The original one was starting to look a bit frayed.

"Perhaps you should throw this one out, Kagome. It is beginning to look weak. Once it is damaged, it will never be as good as originally."

"The same can be said about Kageri!" came a voice behind them, and they turned, surprised, and suddenly BloodStar, the Kageri that was bound to Naraku, was in the middle of them.

DarkWind never had a chance to avoid the right hook thrown his way, and he fell backwards, literally crashing through the fence surrounding Kaede's garden, tearing a groove in the ground with his body.

Kagome backpedalled away, screaming, shocked, _"DarkWind!"_

DarkWind was pulling himself out of the ground, covered in dirt, grass, and a few seedlings, watching, as BloodStar hopped up onto a portion of the unbroken fence, grinning at him.

"You didn't sense me coming?" BloodStar laughed, " . DarkWind, you've become weak indeed."

DarkWind looked thoroughly disgusted, both at BloodStar and with himself, as he brushed himself off, "I fear you may be right on that account. Usually, your foul aura gives you away."

"Just _look_ at you!" BloodStar said, standing on a single fencepost, "Look at your sigul, it's broken!"

DarkWind raised a hand, and lightly touched the symbol that encircled one eye, now with a faint line of skin running through it, as if it had shattered.

"Yes. And yet, I feel so enlightened with it," DarkWind said, voice cool, as he suddenly grinned back at BloodStar, "A pity you would never understand."

"You're _Broken_, you fool! Why are you still hanging around?! Don't tell me you think you can still be of help to this woman!" BloodStar turned towards Kagome, "He's only endangering you, you know. Once he starts to gibber, you should probably run."

"Nushi has nothing to fear from me," DarkWind replied, "And she knows this."

By this time, of course, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and InuYasha had appeared, and stood, watching. They knew, even InuYasha, that taking on BloodStar would be impossible. InuYasha, although knowing this, would still have leapt at the other Kageri, but at the moment there was only talking going on.

Still, the unmistakable sound of the Tetsusaiga being drawn was loud in the clearing.

"Where's Naraku?" InuYasha demanded, but BloodStar paid him no mind. He was staring at DarkWind, a look of surprise on his face.

" 'Nushi'?" he asked, "What are you doing, DarkWind? Why do you pay this woman the title of your master?"

"Because she _is_ my master."

"You are Broken, idiot, you _have_ no master!"

"Not so," DarkWind said, and he grinned at BloodStar, "For Nushi has reclaimed me." He held up his hand, where the fine chain encircled his wrist and middle finger, physical symbol of the link between him and Kagome.

Now BloodStar looked _shocked_. He blinked at DarkWind, then at Kagome, then back at DarkWind again.

"You...you were _reclaimed_?!" he asked, almost whispering, as if asking if the sun had decided to dance that morning.

"That is right," DarkWind, and his voice was strong and proud, "She did. I would say you should ask if your master would do the same for you, but...I think we both know what the answer would be."

BloodStar turned, staring at Kagome with wide eyes, "Why would you do that? Why would you reclaim a Broken One? Are you mentally defective?"

"You wouldn't understand," Kagome said firmly. She would have pitied him, being trapped, the same way DarkWind had been trapped, but she had seen what he had done at the Spire.

"No," BloodStar's face suddenly darkened, "I do not. But it does not matter. Your Broken Kageri will soon be a _shattered_ one!"

He dove from the fencepost, lunging at DarkWind again. This time DarkWind was ready for him, and took to the air, angling upwards.

_~I must lead him from the village, Nushi. Our battle here will kill many if I do not!~_

~Go, then, we're right behind you!~

~You must not follow! You are unable to fight this creature!~

~DarkWind,~ Kagome made sure her mental voice was gentle and soft with no sign of anger, _~Don't tell me what to do. Now go, and we'll follow.~_

_~Yes, Nushi. Be careful, all of you.~_

~We will.~

DarkWind left the village, heading out towards the forest, BloodStar hot on his tail.

"Where are they going?" InuYasha yelled. He wanted someone to take out his anger on.

"Out in the forest, where no one will be hurt or killed. Let's go!" Kagome grabbed up her bow, and started running in the direction they had last gone. InuYasha took off, Miroku and Sango close behind Kagome.

Miroku literally ran into Kagome when she suddenly stopped, sending her sprawling.

"Kagome, I'm sorry, why did you stop?"

"The white jade arrow, where is it?"

Sango turned, "I'll bring it, go!"

Miroku helped Kagome up, and they started running again. The monk looked at Kagome as they ran, "You're going to use it on BloodStar?"

She nodded, "If I can, yes. White Jade kills Kageri, so if I can get a clear shot, I'll use it."

"Good thinking, but be careful."

"We all have to be careful," Kagome said, "Kageri can't take any action without their master's permission! That means Naraku may be here somewhere!"

They ran, even though the two Kageri were out of sight. It was easy enough to locate them, the sounds of trees falling in the forest was loud. Villagers started to wander out, to ask what was going on, but Sango sent them back to the village with a warning not to go to the forest.

Taking the white jade arrow, she leapt atop Kirara, and sprang after her friends.

She kept an eye out as they ran. If BloodStar was there, then so was Naraku.

Deep in her heart, Sango had always had trouble believing that Naraku could be dead. The man's evil was so overpowering, he seemed eternal, like darkness in the night. It seemed impossible that he was gone.  
When they found out he was back, she had been sick, but not all that shocked. Wearily, she had accepted it.

Now that Naraku had a Kageri, it was worse. The last time they had clashed, DarkWind had easily been more than a match for BloodStar. But that was before he had been so badly hurt, before he had been Broken. Now she was worried about what would happen as they fought.

DarkWind claimed at the time that his powers would be lessened. This would be the telling point, she supposed.

As her friends came into sight, Sango watched Kagome. Worriedly, she found herself wondering what would happen to her friend if DarkWind lost.

She wasn't the only one wondering that.

InuYasha was the closest one to the Kageri as they started to brawl, and he found himself in the unhappy position of having to hope DarkWind won. He didn't know what would happen to Kagome if he lost.

He slowed, and stopped, watching.

DarkWind and BloodStar, as before, were fighting mid-air. They seemed to be moving at top speed, flicking about, almost like hummingbirds. DarkWind had drawn his two long knives, that seemed to ripple with a pale light. BloodStar had a long sword, black, and seeming to draw in the light around it.

The weapons flashed, swinging. BloodStar lunged forward, intending to run DarkWind through. DarkWind raised his long knives, catching the sword between his blades, and twisted, causing BloodStar's arm to be flung backwards. DarkWind lunged, but BloodStar rose up, and over, soaring above him.

InuYasha looked over his shoulder as Miroku, Sango with Shippo on Kirara, and Kagome ran up, looking up at the battling Kageri.

"Who's winning?" Kagome asked him, eyes on DarkWind.

"No one, yet," he answered. He studied her, watching how intently she was watching DarkWind, and started to look away, angry. His eyes fell on the arrow in her hands, and he blinked.

"What are you doing with that?"

Kagome looked down at the arrow, then unslung the bow from her shoulder, "If I can get a chance, I'm shooting it."

"And what if you miss?" he asked her, "BloodStar will come straight for you!"

"That's a chance I have to take," she said, nocking the arrow, "We have to get rid of BloodStar, InuYasha. We'll never be rid of Naraku if we don't."

InuYasha kept an eye on BloodStar, taking a step towards Kagome, tense, "Well make sure you hit him the first time, then, don't miss!"

Kagome glared at him out of the corner of her eye, "You say that like it's so easy."

"Just don't be stupid, and you won't miss," he said, angry, and kicked himself. Damnit, why did she make it so hard to be nice to her? Why did he get angry so easy sometimes?

"You can do this," he said again, voice lower, so only she could hear him, "You've shot harder things."

Kagome blinked at him, then nodded, and waited, arrow on the line, and watched.

_~DarkWind, I have the White Jade arrow. I'm ready to shoot it the minute you call.~_

~Be careful, Nushi! BloodStar will not tolerate your interference. If you shoot, he will attack.~

~I know, that's why I'm telling you I'm ready.~

It might have been that he was talking to her, or else some of his powers had lessened. But seconds after she spoke, she saw BloodStar lunge, and DarkWind was a little too slow darting aside. BloodStar's black blade slid along DarkWind's side, drawing blood.

Kagome cried out, upset, then again, shocked, as pain lanced along her side.

"Kagome!?" InuYasha turned to her, but she shook her head. The pain she felt was weak, only a faint trace, almost more of an echo of the pain DarkWind had felt.

_~Are you alright?~_

_~Yes, Nushi, it is a small cut.~_

~See if you can find out where Naraku is.~

DarkWind dodged BloodStar again, "So where is your master?" he called, "Hiding? Does he fight only through you?"

"Don't be a fool, DarkWind. I won't reveal my Master's location. But you can tell your little mistress and her friends down there not to worry. He's busy somewhere else."

BloodStar darted down, and grabbed a hold of a tree. Before everyone's startled eyes, the Kageri literally pulled it out of the ground, his short, red spiky hair seeming like a cap of blood, and turned, throwing it at DarkWind.

DarkWind rose, and flew over it, letting it crash heavily in the forest below, "We both know you did not come here without your Master's order. Were you getting bored, then, and he let you off the leash?"

"You could say that," BloodStar laughed, "He's busy talking to _his_ master, divulging some important information to certain people."

"_His_ Master?" InuYasha said, "Keimetsu. Great. I should have known someone as corrupt as Naraku would fall in line with him."

"It's hard to imagine Naraku letting anyone have power over him," Miroku said, clenching his fist tightly.

"Even Naraku knows when to join a much greater power," Sango said.

Kagome was startled when InuYasha turned to her, her haori in his hands, "Put this on."

"What?"  
"Put it _on!_ It defends some against blades, too, not just fire."

"You might need it."

"Put it on, Kagome!"

"I'm fine, I-"

"_Put the damned thing on, Kagome!_"

"Alright, alright, I don't have time to fight!" She grabbed it, dropping her bow and arrow for a moment, and slipped it on, letting it hang loose.

DarkWind rose, and raised his hands above his head. A small, flickering, black sphere appeared. It grew in size, crackling and hissing. Within seconds it was the size of a watermelon. A few seconds later it was the size of a car. He threw it at BloodStar. BloodStar darted aside, but it turned, following him.

BloodStar looked over his shoulder, and cursed. He dove, darting down, straight at InuYasha and the others.

BloodStar rocketed through them. InuYasha, Kagome, Sango and Miroku dove aside, sqwaking in shock. The huge black ball landed on the ground, and continued on, sinking, tearing and destroying everything in its path, until it sank to a depth of 8 feet, and exploded with a loud retort, flinging dirt everywhere.

BloodStar lunged into the air again, diving at DarkWind. One hand out, he rose, and brilliant crimson spheres shot from his hand, like blooddrops. They grew quickly, though, as they closed in on DarkWind. DarkWind dodged, managing to avoid the majority of them, but one managed a hit.

DarkWind was thrown down to the ground, hard, the ground literally cracking in a spiderweb pattern where he hit. Kagome and Sango cried out.

BloodStar hovered, and dove, sword down, hurtling downward.

Kagome was about to raise the bow and try to shoot, to hope she could hit him, when DarkWind managed to phase out, dissapearing a split-second before BloodStar landed, driving his sword deep into the ground.

BloodStar cursed, yanking his sword out of the ground, turning.

DarkWind landed behind BloodStar, throwing a right hook that impacted BloodStar's face, and the other Kageri went rolling backwards, striking a tree hard enough to topple it with a grinding crash.

BloodStar lunged to his feet, and took to the air again.

DarkWind rose, raising an arm to bring his hand eye-level, palm up, before him, as if carrying an invisible tray. A golden glow formed, and within seconds, it lengthened to a long dagger.

The dagger shot out, hurtling at BloodStar.

BloodStar raised his sword, knocking it away, when it struck another tree, and exploded, sending splinters of wood in all directions.

"You're getting slow, DarkWind!" BloodStar laughed.

DarkWind said nothing, merely rose into the air.

BloodStar rose as well, and lunged, sword behind him.

DarkWind threw out his hands, a black sphere forming, and hurtled it at BloodStar.

The other Kageri knocked it away with his sword, and kicked out, striking DarkWind in the chest.

DarkWind was thrown, hard, downwards, crashing into the forest. Trees toppled as his body tore through treetrunks.

_~DARKWIND!~_

Kagome felt the burst of anger, raw and powerful, before it was suddenly cut off.

"Look out!" Miroku cried, and Kagome turned, and saw BloodStar bearing down on her.

Frantic, she raised the bow with the white jade arrow, aiming it at him, "Get away from me!"

BloodStar blinked, shocked, seeing the arrow, and his face darkened. He darted towards her, then away, left, then right, trying to get her to shoot. Kagome knew she only had one chance, and couldn't afford to lose the arrow.

"Why did you reclaim DarkWind?" he asked, his voice low and angry, as if she had personally insulted him, "Why would you be so stupid as to reclaim a Broken One?"

Kagome heard InuYasha yell her name, horrified.

"He's not a Broken One," she said, angry, "He's my Kageri."

"He was punished, you fool!"

BloodStar continued to dart, back and forth. Kagome kept her arrow beaded on him, following him with the arrow. She tried to check on DarkWind, but there was no answer, and she started to fear for him.

"He wasn't punished by me," she said, lowly, "DarkWind was stolen from me. Naraku somehow stole him. DarkWind never accepted the bonding, he was forced to take it to survive. DarkWind never disobeyed _me_."

Behind her, she heard InuYasha run up, saw the enormous Tetsusaiga out of the corner of her eye as he stood beside her, looking up at BloodStar, heard him growl, "Back off, parasite!"

BloodStar paid no mind to InuYasha, kept his eyes on Kagome, "It doesn't matter. Once a Kageri is Broken, he's of no use. You're either smarter than anyone thought and you know something we don't, or you're as stupid as hell. Which is it?"

Over his shoulder, Kagome suddenly saw DarkWind in the air, bearing down on BloodStar.

"Neither," Kagome said, keeping a bead on BloodStar, "I just don't throw away friends."

_"Friends!?"_ BloodStar cried, backing up, away from Kagome, eyes wide, "You think DarkWind is a _friend_? You think he'd stay here if he had any other choice?"

"I don't know," Kagome said, watching him over her arrow, "I can only hope he would."

BloodStar laughed, "The _irony_! That the Youngest and Eldest of the Kageri would be given to a madwoman!"

He made a negating motion towards her, lightning fast, and she only had time to see crimson crescents flashing out from his hand, before she was knocked sideways, hard, falling to the ground, the breath knocked out of her. Her head rang, and suddenly InuYasha screamed, and a heavy weight fell on her.

Opening her eyes, she saw DarkWind and BloodStar, in the air, wrestling, both fighting for control of BloodStar's long black blade.

InuYasha was lying atop her, on his elbows, and she looked into his face. He was pale, his eyes squeezed shut, teeth bared in a grimace of pain.

"InuYasha!?"

He tried to talk, but couldn't, just lowered his head, forehead on her shoulder, shuddering. Kagome put her arms around him, to support him, and felt his back was hot and wet. Gasping, she pulled her hands back, looking at them over his shoulders, seeing they were covered in blood.

"InuYasha!"

Miroku and Sango came running up, keeping an eye on the battling Kageri, and bent over the injured hanyou. Their faces were pale as they took his arms, trying to help him up.

He grunted, making sounds of pain as they moved him.

Kagome sat up, moving swiftly to look at his back as Sango and Miroku supported him. She locked in the cry when she saw a huge angled slash in his gi, and a similar one deep in his back. His white gi absorbed the blood flowing freely from the wound.

She turned, glaring at BloodStar, hate filling her veins, where he battled with DarkWind, _How dare you hurt him!_

As she watched, DarkWind grabbed him tight, and dove down towards the ground. They wrestled on the ground, BloodStar trying to lunge into the sky, DarkWind holding tight.

_~Nushi! Now!~_

Kagome grabbed up her bow and the white jade arrow, running towards where they wrestled on the ground. She nocked the arrow, aiming.

_~Roll over, get under him, I'll have a bigger target!~_

DarkWind grit his teeth, and did so, rolling onto his back, pulling BloodStar over on top of him, revealing his back to Kagome.

Normally, Kagome would hate to shoot anyone in the back - it seemed such a cowardly thing to do - but this was different. She aimed, held her breath, and shot.

The white jade arrow buried itself in the center of BloodStar's back.

BloodStar screamed in agony, jacknifing. DarkWind let go of him, and lunged to his feet. He grabbed Kagome, taking to the air, backing up, away from BloodStar.

BloodStar tried to rise, but failed, falling over onto his hands and knees. Sounds of pain came from him, and he shuddered.

BloodStar screamed again. A black spot appeared around the arrow, and started to spread outwards, like ink. Kagome wondered if Kageri blood were black, when she suddenly noticed something.

Where the blackness appeared, the skin began to bubble, as if boiling. It spread, burning away skin and clothing alike.

BloodStar screamed again.

The blackness was dissolving into thin air, as if being taken by the wind, smoke rising from the wound.

As Kagome and the others watched, horrified, a deep hole appeared in the middle of BloodStar.

BloodStar tried to crawl, but fell. Screaming again, he rolled over onto his back. Or tried to. With a sickening sound, his upper half and lower half of his body split, separating. His legs stopped moving, kept dissolving.

Kagome locked away the scream that threatened. That's what white jade did to a Kageri?

BloodStar, horror in his eyes, reached out a hand to DarkWind. Kagome noticed the fine chain on his wrist, the link between him and Naraku, had vanished.

_"StrongWind!"_ BloodStar screamed, _"Please! Help me!"_

"There is nothing I can do for you, BrightStar," DarkWind said firmly, but softly, "You were fated to this the day you walked away from the Spire."

The blackness spread up his chest, towards his neck.

Kagome watched, horror-stricken, until DarkWind gently put a hand on the back of her head, and turned her head to his chest, "There is no need for you to see this, Nushi."

Kagome clenched her fists, her mind broken into pieces. InuYasha, his back sliced open, the screams of BloodStar as the white jade dissolved him. The thought that that might have happened to DarkWind had Kikyo struck him successfully.

The screams went on for a very long time, and when they started to turn wet-sounding and bubbly, Kagome dropped her bow and clapped her hands over her ears.

After what seemed like an eternity, she felt DarkWind sinking down, and she cautiously lowered her hands, looking around.

There was no sign of BloodStar, only what looked like a greasy black smear on the ground. Even the clothing had vanished, a single white jade arrow lying on the ground, stained grey.

"Is he...he...he's gone, right?" Kagome asked quietly.

"Yes, Nushi. He is gone."

He spoke softly, "Rest in Peace, brother."

There was a strange tone to DarkWind's voice, and she looked up, to see the Kageri looking at where BloodStar had lain, a look of regret on his face, and even a little anger.

_Is he angry at me?_ she wondered, _Because I killed him?_

_~No Nushi,~_ his voice was gentle, _~I am angry he had to be killed, but not at you for killing him. Do you understand the difference?~_

~Yes, DarkWind, thank you.~

She told DarkWind to put her down on the ground, and she ran to where InuYasha was still standing, supported by Sango and Miroku. His head was hanging, but he was looking at her through his bangs, face covered in sweat. When she ran to him, he tried to speak, his voice weak, "You..got..him."

"Shh, don't talk. We need to get you back to Kaede's, that wound has to be looked at."

"Be..fine..."

"We don't _know_ that! Sango, can Kirara take him?"

"Of course."

The Demon Slayer called for the giant feline, and Kirara walked to her, crouching. InuYasha was laid over the cat's back, unable to sit up.

Kagome jumped on behind InuYasha, laying her hands on his lower back, to steady him, "Nice and easy, Kirara, please."

The cat rumbled a low growling sound, and took to the air, just above the ground, moving swiftly, but levelly and smoothly.

Kagome kept her eyes on the wound, horrified. It looked so _deep_. The back of his gi was totally soaked in blood.

_That'll never come out, it'll have to be thrown away. At least he has another one. Once his back is healed, he'll use his newer one, and we'll get him another extra, just in case._

She angrilly wiped away the tears that clouded her vision. She refused to let herself think about the wound itself, it was too terrible. It had been a long time since she had seen him so wounded. And those black blades always seemed to have something in them that slowed his healing process. Injured by those blades, either the one the Shadelings had, or the one BloodStar seemed to have, his wounds took a long time to heal, as long as human might.

At Kaede's, the old woman came out, and helped Kagome bring him down, and back into the hut. They laid out his sleeping mat, removing his torn gi and laying him down on his stomach. Kagome shrugged out of his haori.

The wound looked terrible, the edges of the injury black, almost as if they were coated with something.

Kaede brought hot water, and Kagome washed the injury as best she could, using herbal water to try and keep infection away. The blackness seemed to ooze from the wound itself, like tar or molassas. InuYasha shuddered and made quiet sounds of pain as she worked, his hands clenched into fists.

It took a very long time, but eventually she managed to get all the blackness clear, revealing the wound better. The only good thing about it was that the injury had been made with a very sharp blade. The edges were clean and neat, with no tearing or jagged sides.

Under Kaede's direction, they packed the top of the wound with a mixture of ground up herbs and a lotion, making a sort of gooey paste. This they spread liberally on top of, and _in_ the wound, and then bandaged it. Kaede wasn't sure if stitching it was a good idea. If it became infected, they would have to reopen it to clean it out. Best for the next little while, to leave it, and stitch it when they knew it was healing cleanly.

Kagome bent over, peering into his face.

His eyes were half lidded, face pale, a faint sheen of sweat.

Kagome brushed his bangs back from his face, "It's all cleaned now, InuYasha, it's done."

"Yeah...ok...thanks," his voice was weak. The injury was worse than she thought.

"What possessed you to do that?" she whispered.

"Don't...ask..stupid questions, Kagome." Even hurt, he managed to give her an exasperated look, "You're...just a ...human."

"I was wearing your haori!"

"Didn't...know...against _that_ ... blade."

Kaede leaned over, handing her a steaming cup, "Try to get him to drink this. It'll made him sleep, lessen the pain."

Kagome thanked her, and handed the cup to him, "Here."

InuYasha took it, taking a gulp, and made a face. He took another, though, and Kagome realized he must have been in more pain than she thought.

DarkWind remained outside, awaiting Sango and Miroku. He didn't think the hanyou would want to see him just yet.

"Are you cold?" Kagome asked quietly, "Or too warm? We can move your mat if you rather be away from the door more."

"I'm fine," he said, and finished the drink, handing her back the cup. Kagome took it, leaning away for a moment to hand it to Kaede. When she looked back, he was resting his left cheek on his forearm, eyes closed.

Kagome sat next to him, not sure what to do. She gently brushed his hair off his back, making sure it didn't lay against his injury. She paused, putting a hand on his shoulder. His skin seemed so warm, and she found herself again wondering if hanyou just naturally had higher body temperatures.

"That was a good shot," he almost whispered.

Kagome looked into his face. His eyes were almost closed, the medicine working. She lightly rubbed his shoulder, "If I had missed that I would have to give up my bow. I was less than 5 feet from him."

"Nice...and deep...though."

"Yeah...I guess." She watched his face as he seemed to sink into sleep. She reached out again, brushing his bangs back from his face, watching for any sign of pain.

"Nice," he whispered, eyes not opening.

Kagome blinked, leaning down to whisper, "What?"

"Fingers...in my...hair."

Kagome suddenly felt a great, crushing sorrow. Why had it all gone so wrong? Why had he taken the Shikon and offered it to Kikyo? Why had she finally had enough? Why did Kikyo even have to come back at all? Why, why, why? When they had been together, it had been so good. So right.

_Why does everything good have to die?_ she wondered.

Quietly, Kagome gently ran her fingers through his hair, gently, over and over, brushing his bangs back, brushing his hair from his temples, until his breathing deepened and she knew he was truly asleep.

She slowly stood up, glancing to Kaede.

"I'll keep an eye on him," the old woman said, and Kagome thanked her.

She walked to the doorway, and pushed back the door covering, to see Miroku, Sango, and Shippo had finally caught up with them and were talking to DarkWind.

"How is he!?" Shippo asked, worried.

"He's badly hurt," Kagome said, softly, "But he'll be ok. It'll be a few days before he's up and walking around on his own, though. Those blades..."

Sango nodded, "They slow his healing."

Kagome nodded, and fell silent. She glanced at DarkWind, who watched her, quiet. He had felt her emotions inside.

"We'll take the secondary hut," Miroku said to Kagome, "Sango, Shippo and I, so InuYasha can get the rest he needs. I'll just grab our things."

He slipped in past her.

Kagome sighed deeply, rubbing her face.

"He'll be fine, Kagome," Sango said softly, touching her shoulder, "InuYasha is very strong. If Kaede thinks he'll be ok, I'm sure he will."

"This wouldn't have happened if he hadn't..."

"No, it wouldn't," Sango agreed, but spoke, "We'd probably be burying you instead."

"Again," Kagome said moodily.

Sango was quiet.

Kagome shivered. No matter how long ago it was, she couldn't get past the thought that she had been dead for several days. Dead and buried. It was long ago now, but still...that was hard to get past.

"Sometimes I get so angry at him, because he does stuff like this. I mean, I know I probably would have died. Yet I still feel guilty. That makes no sense, does it?"

Sango shook her head, "No. But the strongest emotions never do."

Miroku came out, carrying his and Sango's backpacks. DarkWind spoke to Miroku, "Is it alright if I join you for tonight? I think InuYasha-Warrior may sleep better if I am...not in the same hut."

Miroku blinked, but spoke, "Of course."

"I will join you in a moment, then."

DarkWind and Kagome watched as the monk lead the Kitsune child and the demon slayer to the other little hut across the way.

"Are you alright, DarkWind?" she asked.

He looked at her, confused.

"I mean...BloodStar."

DarkWind sighed, "He was as my brother, at one time, Nushi. I grieve BrightStar. But not BloodStar, no. He would have killed you, and your friends, without batting an eye. And yet...now that I have experienced this...freedom, of a sort...I pity him, for he was not even truly aware of what limitations have been placed upon us."

Kagome reached out, and lightly touched his hand, "I...didn't know that shooting him with that arrow would...do _that_ to him."

"In truth, nor did I. At least it was somewhat quick."

It was quiet, sun setting over the village.

"I'm glad I got hit with that arrow, instead of you."

He looked at her, shocked, "Nushi! You must never say such a thing!"

"I only bled, DarkWind. You would have..." she shuddered.

"Nushi-"

"No. DarkWind, I'm giving you an order. And you won't find any loopholes, back ways, nothing. Nothing that will allow you not to do as I'm about to instruct you. Understand?"

DarkWind looked at her, alarmed. Kagome's face was pale, but her eyes were intense, as she looked up at him. Her mouth was set in a line; determined.

"Yes, Nushi," he said quietly, "I understand."

"If you see Kikyo, if you hear her, if you even _suspect_ she's anywhere nearby, you are to dissapear. Go away. Go to one of your other worlds, phase to another location miles away, I don't _care_, just _go_. No matter what is going on around you. _Go_."

DarkWind looked at her, wide-eyed, "Nushi, if you are under attack, I cannot just _abandon_ you!"

"You can and you are. And if you don't I _will_ be angry at you."

He watched her face.

She looked up at him, and he saw she was trembling, "I _won't_ have that happen to you, DarkWind. I _won't_."

He said nothing, unable to argue with his master. He just nodded, unhappy, "I hear and obey, Nushi."

"Good." She tried to smile at him, but it was a weak one, and it died.

"Go on, now, head over with Sango. I'll call you if I need anything."

He nodded, and she slipped back inside. Kagome picked up InuYasha's haori, and gently laid it over his back, then sat down beside him, and set vigil over him.


	3. Apprentice

He slowly awoke, groggy and confused, his back feeling like it was on fire, and aching. For a moment he was confused, couldn't figure out what had happened.

A fire was still lit, though banked low, even though it was warm. He didn't normally sleep on his stomach, and why did his back hurt so damn much?

Blearily, he blinked around, trying to place what was going on. His shirt was off, but his haori was draped over him.

Pulling his arms back, he carefully pushed up onto his elbows, looking around, and his eyes fell on Kagome.

She was kneeling beside him, tipped slightly to the right, her right side up against the wall. Her eyes were closed, and she was asleep.

He watched her in the low light for a few minutes, watching her face. She looked so tired, and he wondered how long she had knelt there before falling asleep.

He was so thirsty.

There was a pitcher of water on the table, and a clay cup nearby. Quietly, he reached out, hoping to snag the cup.

The moment his riht arm was completely outstretched, the large muscle in his back constricted, and he hunched, hissing in pain, hands in fists.

"InuYasha?" A whisper.

He raised his head, peering at her through his bangs, shivering as the ghost of the pain flashed through his system.

"What is it, what do you need? Water? Do you want water?"

"..Yeah.."

Kagome reached over and grabbed up the clay cup, filling it to the brim with water. She rummaged in her backpack and took out one of Shippo's straws, and put it in, handing it to the hanyou.

He took it gratefully, drinking it down.

"Are you hungry?" she asked, whispering so as not to wake Kaede, "I have some soup."

"No, I'm...good." He drained the cup, and she filled it again. InuYasha started draining that as well, and Kagome put her hand to his forehead, worried about fever. But he didn't seem to be any warmer than he usually was.

"Are you too hot, or cold? If you need to go to the bathroom, let me know, I'll go wake up Miroku, he can help you."

"I'm fine, Kagome, just thirsty." He handed her back the cup, and put his head down again, resting his left cheek on his arms. He closed his eyes, "When do I have to take another cup of Kaede's tea?"

Kagome leaned forward, "Are you in pain?"

"Not really, no."

"InuYasha."

He opened his eyes, looking up at her, and she could see a faint hue of pain in them.

Kagome filled the little kettle, putting it over the low fire, "She said I could give you some early if you needed it."

"Alright," he closed his eyes again.

When the water started to boil, Kagome put in the herbs, and let them steep. She looked back at him, and saw him watching her. She felt very self-conscious, and fussed with his haori a little, lifting up the edges of his bandage, checking on his wound.

The edges already looked like they were starting to heal, which was a good sign. His healing may be slowed, but not to a human's crawl, at least.

"How's it look?' he asked quietly.

"Well...considering it's a huge slice in your back, it looks pretty terrible," she answered quietly, "But considering what it _could_ look like, I think it's coming along pretty good. I can't see any signs of infection."

"I can't smell any either," he agreed, "You and Kaede are good healers."

Kagome picked up the cup, and stirred it, "Well, she taught me pretty well. Before I met her the extent of my healing ability was ointment and bandaids. Which, come to think of it, I still use." She laughed.

Kagome handed the cup to him, and he sipped it carefully.

"BloodStar is gone," Kagome said quietly, "So now, at least, Naraku should be easier to get. _Again._ Then...the other Shadelings. Then...this will all be over. I hope."

He finished the tea, putting the cup on the floor, "Yeah. None too soon for me, either."

Kagome watched him again, as he put his head down, closing his eyes. He seemed so...tired. Out of it. Even when he was hurt before, he was usually larger than life, full of energy. It was rare to see him so...subdued.

Kagome suddenly wondered if it had anything to do with the screaming match they had had up in the tree.

_What am I supposed to say to you, InuYasha? If I tell you I love you again, you won't let it rest. You'll just keep at me and keep at me, and finally I'll give in, and we'll spend time together, like we did before, and you'll run off after Kikyo at the next opportunity. I'm not stupid. I can see what you do. I know you don't want to hurt me, I really, really, do. But I think you'll do it anyway. Why can't you just leave me be?_

Kagome lightly touched his shoulder again, feather light, to check and see if he were asleep.

No response.

Kagome sighed, leaning back, and pulled his haori up over him again.

The next morning, he was feeling better, and his back was already showing signs of improvement. Both Kagome and Kaede checked it over, and declared it healing cleanly. At first Kaede had been going to sew the injury up, but considering the hanyou's healing powers, decided it would be unnecessary. In fact, it might interfere with InuYasha's healing process. Kagome gently pulled the edges of the cut together and literally held it in place with bandaids crossing over it, and left it in place.

That afternoon, Kaede took Kagome over to the hut Miroku, Sango and Shippo had shared, to remove her stitches, while the monk, demon-slayer, and kitsune child visited with InuYasha for a bit.

The door covering had been left open, and InuYasha peered out through, watching the hut silently.

"Why couldn't Kaede take out Kagome's stitches here?" he asked, ears perked towards the hut.

Sango and Miroku exchanged glances, and Miroku spoke, "Ah...I'm guessing Kagome may have to take her shirt off, and this way she is afforded some privacy."

"Oh."

"Poor Kagome," Shippo said, sitting beside InuYasha.

"What do you mean, 'poor Kagome'?" InuYasha asked.

"I heard Kaede say that taking out stitches can really hurt," the child said, innocently, "They have to be soaked, and then cut out, and-"

Miroku sighed, putting a hand over his face.

"Shippo," Sango said, "Why don't you come over here and help me with supper?"

"Ok!"

InuYasha had put his head back on his arms, and was quietly gazing towards the other hut.

_Kikyo used to be a crack shot with her bow,_ he thought, miserable, _Was she even aiming for DarkWind?_

He clenched his fists, _She __**had**__ to be! The arrow was white jade! She wanted to kill DarkWind!_

_Did she? Or are those just the ones she happened to have?_

He closed his eyes, fighting within himself.

"So," Miroku said, casting about for something to talk about, "Now that BloodStar is gone, it should be easier to get rid of Naraku. Again. But I'm wondering if there are going to be any more surprises."

"Surprises?" Sango asked, "What do you mean?"

"Well...of the Shadelings, there was Neith, Xanter and Xether, Jemu, Phobia, and that little thing. Nazu? Something like that. Neith, Xanter, and Xether are gone. That leaves three. I'm wondering if Keimetsu will bring any more here to fight?"

"That's all we need," InuYasha complained, eyes closed, "More of those things." His ears suddenly shot forward, perking at something only he could hear, but he didn't open his eyes. Sango saw him clench his fists, then he spoke again.

"The thing I don't understand is why they're helping him. If Keimetsu wants to destroy everything, why would you fight for him? You fight for spoils. Land, money, even slaves. Who fights to lose _everything_?"

"Maybe it's just this...plane," Miroku said, "Perhaps the other planes, where the Shadelings come from, will be untouched. There must be _something_ promised to them. As you said, who fights a war to vanish?"

They fell silent. InuYasha opened his eyes again, still gazing out towards the hut. Occasionally, he could just make out soft sounds of pain, very low. He had to strain his ears to hear it, but he could just make it out.

_Why did you do that, Kikyo?_

The door covering was pushed back, and he watched as Kaede, Kagome, and DarkWind walked out of the hut.

InuYasha's eyes settled on DarkWind, and his stomach seethed. Gods Above he hated him. He hated him so much he felt himself actually tensing, wanted to spring, to attack. He had never felt like this about Kouga. Because as bad as Kouga was, the wolf-demon had at least been an even match. InuYasha was on the same footing.

And Kagome had always kept telling him she wasn't interested in Kouga.

But InuYasha had seen Kagome's interest in DarkWind right from the start. The way she laughed, the way she blushed.

And now...now she hadn't even been able to deny her feelings for him.

Kagome voice came to him from what seemed a long, long time ago. InuYasha and Kagome had been in the forest, and Kikyo had shown up. He had talked to her, and turned, to see Kagome gone. He had followed her back, and Kagome had been crying.

_"Someday, InuYasha,"_ she had said to him, angry, _"You'll understand how it feels to be so jealous you just feel sick."_

_Well...I guess this is karma. Because I understand now._

The three of them walked back to the hut, slipping inside. InuYasha studied Kagome's face, and saw she was pale, but smiling bravely.

"Kagome!" Shippo ran to her when she sat, "Are you ok? Did it hurt much?"

"It hardly hurt at all," Kagome laughed. InuYasha saw her shoulder was bandaged again.

"I'm making supper," Sango said, "Vegetables, rice, fish, and Miroku bought us all some cherry pastries."

"Sounds good!" Kagome smiled, "I'm so hungry all of a sudden!"

"Well, once the rice is cooked, everything will be ready."

Kagome turned to the hanyou, "Are you up to eating, InuYasha?"

He kept his head on his arms, eyes looking out through the door, "Yeah, I guess."

She frowned, "You guess? Aren't you hungry?"

InuYasha shrugged a little, opening his eyes as Kagome reached over and tested his forhead again for fever.

"Only eat what you want, then," Sango said, "We can keep it warm for you, if you want some later."

"Thanks."

He closed his eyes, listening to his circle of friends, his family, talking lightly, bantering back and forth, and slowly sank down into sleep again.

***************************************************  
The sun rose over the water, bright and vivid. Fishermen had put out their boats long before, and were already coming back with their first catch of the day.

The old woman pushed back the door covering of her hut, and stepped outside, peering around. Her guest was up and gone.

The old woman walked down towards the beach, and saw her standing there.

She stood out among the other women, so tall and slender. And her long black hair, blowing slightly in the wind. On the third day she had tied it back in a ponytail, with leather ties all down the length, about six inches apart, to keep it neat and tidy. It hung, heavy, like a braid.

She wore a man's pants and shirt, as no one had been able to find women's clothing tall enough for her. It didn't seem to take away from her quiet beauty, though.

This morning, she stood, watching the men rowing back with their fish.

They had named her Seastar. Shisuta, because she had walked from the sea into their midst.

A great many still thought she was some sort of sea spirit, perhaps a Ningyo - a mermaid. The old woman, Teruko, knew better. This was just a woman - a human woman - who had somehow washed up on their shores. She had been naked...perhaps she was a noble who had been attacked and raped on a ship far out to sea, and the storm had carried her there on some wreckage. Certainly, she had no memories of anything other than waking up in the water.

Teruko walked up to Shisuta, "You are up early again."

Shisuta smiled at her, "I like to rise with the sun. It's a good day today, warm and pleasant."

"Yes, it is. Does it seem like the men have caught a good catch today?"

"They are coming in early, so that's a good sign, isn't it?"

"If the weather's not bad, yes, it is. Are you hungry?"

"Not really. Would you like help with anything?"

"No, dear, it's fine. You can stay out here."

The two women stood, watching as some men pushed their small boats up onto shore. Down the beach a little ways was a ruined pile of wooden pillars and debris. Shisuta nodded, "What was down there?"

"Ah. That was our wharf, before."

"Before?"

"Before the wind."

Shisuta turned black eyes to the old woman, "Wind?"

"Yes. About a month ago, now. A great mountain, all on fire, fell out of the sky, and landed in the water. It brought terrible wind and waves. Many boats here were destroyed, as was our wharf. Thank the Gods no one was killed, and we were able to rebuild quickly. Oddly enough, the fishing has gotten better since. Perhaps all the waves pushed fish into the harbour as well?" The old woman cackled.

Shisuta said nothing, just watched the men again.

Some of the men saw her, and waved happily. Some of them were attributing Shisuta to the good fishery, saying she used her powers as a Ningyo to bring in the fish.

Men were foolish creatures, she thought.

One of the men walked up from his boat, "Shisuta, good morning."

Shisuta smiled, "Good morning, Yuji. How was your catch?"

"Good again, great news. We will sell many to market today."

Teruko smiled. Many men were watching Shisuta and Yuji closely. Shisuta was beautiful, and the very next day after her arrival, she had some offers of marriage.

She had quietly refused.

She was still very popular, her food always bringing in rave reviews, although Teruko had no idea if it really was good, or the men were just being foolish.

Yuji, however, seemed to be behaving quite differently towards her. He hadn't asked for her hand, but he was treating her with a great deal of deference, always speaking to her if he saw her.

Yuji was a handsome young man, already showing signs of becoming a leader of the village. He was quiet, but smart, and always managed a good load of fish. Of all the men in the village, he was rather well-off. Certainly he was considered a catch among the women here.

"Will you be helping Teruko today, with her garden?"

"Probably," Shisuta said, "Hopefully I can do better with her vegetables this time. I think I weeded some out by mistake."

Teruko laughed, "I doubt me you've had much experience with garden work, Shisuta. Your hands are very soft."

"I enjoy it, though," she said quietly, "There is something about growing things..."

"Well, good luck to you, then," Yuji said, "I have to go unload my catch."

He turned, heading back to his boat, moving swiftly and with purpose.

"A handsome man, that," Teruko said, "And very kind."

"Yes, so he seems," Shisuto said softly, and watched him for a while, before turning, and following Teruko back into her small house.

A day passed.

"Kagome," Kaede asked, "I wonder if ye could do me a favor?"

The old healer woman saw sitting in her hut, finishing up her breakfast. She was sipping some tea.

Kagome, InuYasha, Miroku, Sango, Shippo, and DarkWind were in her hut, all eating breakfast.

InuYasha's back had healed rather nicely, and he was able to sit up now. He still walked slowly, though, and would need another day or two before he was up to full form.

Kaede had taken Kagome aside last night, and had told her she was a little worried about InuYasha. While his back was healing fine, his spirits seemed very low. The hanyou was very quiet, hardly speaking, and that was not like him at all.

"It's...us," Kagome said softly, "We had another fight. Things didn't go well, I'm afraid. I'm sure he'll come out of it. It's...not affecting his healing, is it?"

"Nay, not at all. InuYasha will heal whether he wants to or not. I was just worried he may have an infection afterall, but a fight with ye certainly may have done it."

Kagome sighed.

Kaede startled her by taking her hand, and lightly patting it, "Ye cannot help how ye feel, child. He must learn to overcome it."

"I don't even know how I feel anymore."

That had been last night. Now Kagome watched him closely, making sure he ate. His appitite seemed fine, but Kaede was right. He was quiet.

"What would you like, Kaede?" Kagome asked.

"There is a sickly child in the next village over. I promised his mother I would look in on him today, but I fear there are still a few here I need to see to. The child's name is Kayo. She has what I think is a simple cold, and should not need too much healing. Would you be so kind as to go in my stead?"

Kagome blinked, "Uh...certainly, but are you certain they would want me? I mean, they asked you, and if I go, won't they be upset?"

"Nonsense," Kaede said, smiling, "Ye are more than capable of looking after this, Kagome."

"Well...I guess so."

InuYasha startled her by speaking, his eyes on his tea, "You're practically Kaede's apprentice, Kagome."

"This is true," Kaede nodded, "In fact, child, if you would like, I could easily name you my apprentice."

Miroku, Shippo and Sango all smiled at Kagome's shocked look, "I...are you sure, Kaede?"

Kaede laughed, "As InuYasha said, ye already _are_ my apprentice, in all but name. I might as well make it official and name ye."

Kagome smiled brightly, "Oh Kaede, thank you!"

"Ye'll find the herbs ye need are the simple ones, fever, upset stomach, strengthening teas, things like that."

"Alright. I'll go as soon as I finish breakfast."

Kagome was already going over in her mind what else she might need to bring. She finished up her tea, and slipped into the sleeping area to check her supplies.

InuYasha eyed DarkWind in silence for a second, then motioned for Shippo to come over.

"Shippo...listen. When Kagome goes to the village, you go with her, alright?"

Shippo blinked, "InuYasha?"

He kept his voice low so the others couldn't hear, "She'll need someone to keep an eye on her. I can't go, my back is still messed up. So you go in my place."

Shippo puffed out his chest for a moment, then blinked, "Wait. DarkWind will be going with her, I'm sure. Kagome will be safe."

_Safe from who?_ InuYasha thought savagely, but spoke, "Just trust me on this. Stay with Kagome at all times, ok, even if she tries to send you away or something. Just...stay around her."

Shippo looked confused.

Frusterated, InuYasha spoke, "Man-to-man, Shippo. One guy to another, right?"

Shippo blinked, and puffed out his chest again, "Right, of course! From one man to another!"

Privately, Shippo had no idea what InuYasha could be worried about, with DarkWind there, but now that InuYasha had invoked the man-to-man thing, he certainly wasn't about let him know that.

InuYasha grinned at Shippo, and leaned back, casting another dark look at the unsuspecting Kageri.

_Don't you touch her._

Kagome slipped out of the sleeping room with her bag of herbs, her bow over her shoulder, sword at her hip, and nodded, "Alright, I'm ready to go."

"I'm coming too!" Shippo announced, jumping up on her shoulder.

Kagome blinked at the Kitsune child, "Shippo?"

"The road could be dangerous, Kagome! In InuYasha's stead, I'll protect you and keep you safe!"

Kagome smiled, keeping from laughing, "Oh Shippo, that's very brave and sweet of you! Thank you."

Shippo looked very pleased with himself, "It's nothing."

Kagome walked out the door, Shippo on her shoulder, and DarkWind behind her.

Kagome and the others walked to the village, and checked in on the ill child. It was a simple childhood cold, but the little girl was miserable. Kagome left some herbs to help with her head and chest congestion, explaining to the mother how much and when to give it to her. She was asked by the mother to stay a bit, to see if the teas would help. This child was her first, and it was very obvious to Kagome that she was very worried. Kagome smiled, and agreed to hang around the village a little. The mother thanked her very much, offering Kagome a place outside to rest in the shade.

"Hey DarkWind?" Shippo asked. Shippo was sitting beside Kagome and DarkWind, playing with one of his tops.

"Yes, Shippo-Child?"

"You said that there were a lot of different worlds out there, right?"

"That is correct. Hundreds, if not thousands."

"Have you been to them all?"

DarkWind smiled, "No, Shippo-Child. I have little reason to travel to many of them. I have only visited a few."

"Tell me what they're like? Are they like this one?"

Kagome smiled, listening.

"Well, some are, yes. Very alike this. Some are similar, but have their differences. There is one where the grass the purple, and there are many moons in the sky, even during the day."

"Whoa," Shippo's eyes were huge.

"There are some _very_ different. Great tracks of land with nothing but blowing snow and ice, great furry creatures. Others are entire worlds of fire and magma. Great insects scuttle these lands, terrible. In some there are creatures very alike humans, some tall and fair, others short and squat. There are some where the people who live there are so fair they nearly bring tears to your eyes, and in other, people who are so ugly to look upon one feels ill."

"And the ugly ones are evil, right?"

"No so. Appearances are not always accurate. There is a world, for instance, where the most powerful creatures are creatures that look _very_ like butterflies and hornets. The Butterflies are the most beautiful colors, giant graceful wings. The hornets are short and brilliant with their alarming yellow and black, great black eyes and giant stingers."

Shippo shivered.

"And yet," DarkWind continued, "The Wasp-people are kindly, and work together to survive. I spent some time in their giant nests, larger than Kaede-Healer's entire village. They offered me food and shelter, and I spent a great deal of time there, visiting their queen. The Butterfly people, though..." he shook his head, "They were vain and cruel. They would not cooperate with each other even if it meant their own deaths. They killed one another often, and even tried to kill me upon sight, merely because I was not considered 'beautiful' among their kind."

Shippo was silent, listening.

"Appearances can be greatly misleading, Shippo-Child. Remember that, always."

Shippo nodded.

They sat in silence for a while.

"DarkWind, how much longer will you be staying with us?"

DarkWind looked at him, "That is up to Nushi, of course. Once I have completed her training and she feels adequately capable of using the Shikon, I shall leave. Why?"

Shippo's green eyes were innocent, "I'll miss you. You're kinda funny, but I like you."

DarkWind smiled, "I shall miss you as well, Shippo-Child. I do not encounter a great many children normally. They do not normally hang around my masters, as they are usually busy conquoring lands and things. You have taught me many interesting games."

Kagome was quiet. She didn't like the thoughts of DarkWind leaving.

"Do you have friends on those other worlds?" Shippo asked.

"Very few, to be honest."

"Didn't you like it there?"

"It wasn't that so much. A great many worlds do not have 'people' as we know the word. They were more like...animals. You could not really befriend them. Others...well...one would not wish to be friends with them."

Kagome turned, watching the Kageri as he walked, "What do you mean?"

DarkWind looked at her quietly, glancing at Shippo. When he spoke, she could tell he was choosing his words carefully.

"There are worlds, below this one, where...the people who live there...have no kindness in them. At all. They merely wish to overcome those around them. Dark places. Monsters and beasts with teeth and claws."

Kagome shivered.

Shippo spoke, "Why were you there?"

DarkWind looked away from Kagome and Shippo, watching the garden of the woman they visited.

"When I left my home for the first time, I...was not...in a happy frame of mind, Shippo-Child. My heart was very...dark. And low. I did not want to become a Kageri, not then. So I searched for the worlds I could go without needing a master. That was one of them."

"But why-"

"That's enough now, Shippo," Kagome said gently, "I don't think DarkWind wants to talk about it."

"Oh, sorry!"

DarkWind smiled at the young child, "It is well."

Kagome looked up into the branches of the tree overhead. DarkWind's emotions were projecting very loudly. There was anger in there, and grief, and sadness, and a great deal of shame. He had done somethings in that other world he was not happy with.

_~Yes. I behaved badly, Kagome.~_

Kagome looked away, _~I'm sorry, I shouldn't have -~_

_~I have few secrets from you, Kagome.~_

Images suddenly came to Kagome, of DarkWind.

The world he was in was black and cold. The sky was always black, and there were no stars, no moon. She didn't think there was any day, either. The land was bare and ugly, no trees, nothing growing, bare rock.  
Monster walked that land. Things even too ugly to be demons. Things like giant scorpions, spiders. Monsters with twisted bodies that scuttled and scurried, devouring other things. Things with teeth and claws and stingers.

DarkWind raged there.

It was the first world he had fled to after losing his mother-figure, after losing the Crystal Spire. Here he turned all his anger, all his hate, on the world around him. He destroyed, decimated. Entire mountain ranges were blasted away, torn down, levelled. Creatures that came to him to kill, to devour, were blasted away on sight, only greasy smears left behind.

He was almost mad in his anger, his fury, at the gods who killed his creators.

Here he erected a castle of black basalt, a terrible creation of towers and walls with sharp edges and cruel walkways. Here he decided he would be Lord over nothing. Master of devastation.

Kagome felt almost crushed by sorrow for him. Such power, and such love, and to have it all taken away, cast out from home, from family, from all that you knew, to become a race enslaved.

He had raged, and raged _deep_.

_~I cannot justify my actions, Nushi. I became the very thing my creators were afraid of, a creature that lived only to destroy and ruin.~_

~You were grieving, DarkWind, and grieving so much. Not just your mother, but your entire world. Your brothers and sisters, your home, everything.~

~Still. It is not a time I am proud of.~

Kagome looked over at him, watching him.

_~When did you...~_

DarkWind kept looking at the garden, _~Become Kageri permanently? When the solitude became too great. I began to long too much for another voice, and eventually decided I would rather be a slave, a Kageri, and be in the presence of others, than be my own master, completely alone.~_

Kagome looked away.

_How can I send him back to that? A choice of being alone, or being a slave? A slave that's not even allowed to remember his own mother figure? And what if he __**can't**__ be a Kageri anymore? If he's Broken, what if he can't take another master after me? Izumi said no one had __**ever**__ taken on a Broken Kageri. What if no one else will take him? What will he do? Where will he go?_

The wind came up, rippling the water, making whitecaps dance there. The sun sparkled on the surface, nearly blinding.

Shisuta brought out the bucket of water, walking down to where the men were tying up their boats. It had been another successful harvest.

Men came to her, dunking clay cups into the water, drinking deeply. It was hard, hot work, and the women often brought out food and water for them, in exchange for fish. Teruko would trade her garden's vegetables for fish. She was out now, with Shisuta.

"Another good catch, Yuji?" Shishuta asked softly, when he came to her for water.

His short black hair was damp with sweat, his handsome, honest face browned by the sun, and he smiled at her, "Yes, another one. I've started getting coins now, for my fish, and not just traded goods. If the winter ever does arrive, I should be well off. I need to buy some things to fix up my house."

Shisuta smiled.

"What about you and Teruko?" he asked quietly, "Is your house ready for the winter, should it arrive?"

"I'm not sure," Shisuta said, looking over her shoulder at the old woman, "It's drafty when the wind blows, but so far it's been warm."

Yuji frowned, "I'll bring some things over, we'll take a look at it."

She looked back at him, smiling, "That's not necessary."

"Nonsense. We can't have you and old Teruko freezing in there if the snows arrive."

"That's...very kind of you."

Yuji smiled, taking another deep drink. After a second, he spoke again, "How are you doing, Shisuta? Have any of your memories returned?"

The tall woman shook her head, her long hair swinging in it's tied-back ponytail, "No. I can't remember anything. At night, sometimes, I...I get strange flashes, but I don't understand any of it, and none of them make any sense."

"Flashes? Of what?"

"Places, mostly. A huge building, like a palace. It's so beautiful there."

Yuji was silent, "Perhaps...that is where you live."

Again, she shook her head, "That's not how I feel about it, though, As if it were home. It seems a place I may be familiar with, but...not live there."

"Well, as Teruko said, you're obviously not a commoner. You have no calluses on your hands from working at all, and the way your face is sunburned, it's likely you haven't spent a great deal of time out doors either."

"It's strange, but...I don't feel like I've been indoors a lot. I love the sunshine, the way it warms me. I love watching the birds."

"Well," he smiled, "If you have spent a lot of time outdoors, you must have been shaded."

Shisuta laughed, and watched as he walked back to his boat.

Teruko walked over, carrying a bag of fish, and smiled at her, "I think Yuji is interested in you, Shisuta."

The tall woman and the older lady walked back towards the hut they shared, and Shisuta looked at her, "What?"

"Oh come now," Teruko laughed, "Surely you haven't noticed. He talks to you a great deal. And letting you know he'd be well prepared this winter...hee hee hee. He's dropping hints to you, dear."

Shisuta pushed back the covering of the door, holding it open for the older woman, "I don't know, Teruko. I think you're mistaken."

"I've been around a lot longer than you have, dear, I know what I'm talking about. You like him too, don't you?"

Shisuta blushed faintly, "I don't really know. I've known him less than a month!"

"Heavens knows you could do worse! He's kind, considerate, and well off. Handsome, to boot!"

Shisuta put the bucket on the floor, and picked up a small bowl, getting ready to help cut up the fish for supper.

When she moved the bowl, she noticed something tiny moving on the table. Bending over, she peered at it.  
It was a small insect, and it seemed to be...wearing clothing?

The insect looked up at her, "Ah! Lady Izumi! I didn't expect to see you here! Are you here doing something for the Lady Amat-_heeerg!_!"

Myoga wheezed painfully as the bowl was pushed down on top of him, hard.

"It spoke!" Shisuta cried, looking horrified, eyes wide, "That thing just spoke to me!"

Teruko ran over, and picked up the bowl. The two women leaned over, peering at the flattened insect.

"It's a flea, I think," Teruko said.

"It's wearing _clothing_ and it _spoke_!" Shisuta shrieked, backing up.

Myoga squirmed, managing to get to his feet, and waved his four arms, "That hurt! Why did you - augh!"

He dodged in time to avoid the bowl a second time, and took off, hopping madly, heading out of the hut, "Lady Izumi, what did I dooooo?!"

The door covering was swept back, and Shisuta stood there, broom in her hand, looking about wildly, "Where is it? Where did it go?!"

Teruko peered out of the hut, "I can't see it anywhere. I think you scared it off."

"Don't come back!" Shisuta shook her broom, in case it was still out there, "Or I'll squish you flat!"

She waited for an answer, and when one wasn't forthcoming, she headed back inside, shook up.


	4. Encounter

That afternoon, Kagome checked on the child, and when it was apparent the tea was helping her, she said goodbye to the mother, and they started back.  
"I sure hope I don't get another cold," Shippo said, "I had two in a row before, and that was enough!"  
"Well, I can always make you herbal tea and you can drink some everyday," Kagome offered.  
Shippo made a face, "I'd rather have the cold."  
"Ah, you say that now," DarkWind laughed, "but when you get a cold you will wish you had drunk the tea."  
Kagome laughed.  
It was nearing suppertime, and the kitsune's stomach growled.  
"We're not too far from Kaede's," Kagome told him, "Sango and Kaede probably have something made for supper."  
Shippo nodded, then, looking around, said, "The flowers don't want to grow anymore."  
His little voice was saddened.  
Kagome looked to the side of the path, where a few brave souls were sticking their heads out, but the petals were limp and weak.  
"They look tired," Shippo said.  
Kagome nodded, "They do, yes. I guess even the flowers know they should be under snow by now. In another three or four months it'll be spring. If we don't get _any_ snow, I don't know what the farmers will do for the supper crops."  
DarkWind nodded, and opened his mouth, about the speak, when he suddenly froze, stock-still. Kagome turned, looking back at him, at the look on his face, "DarkWind?"  
"Ah...Nushi..." his eyes were fixed on something farther along the path, now behind Kagome.  
Kagome turned, and fell quiet, as Kikyo stepped around a corner. The Priestess stopped, startled, looking at Kagome and the Kageri.  
_~DarkWind, go.~  
~Nushi, I-~  
~NOW.~_  
Unhappy, DarkWind phased out, dissapearing from sight.  
It was just as well, for Kikyo's hand had already gone to her quiver, her bow removed from her shoulder.  
Seeing DarkWind dissapear, she turned her glare on Kagome.  
"You are a fool, to allow a creature such as that to become bonded with you! And with the Shikon!"  
Kagome kept her voice level, calm, refusing to show her anger.  
"Don't worry about DarkWind, Kikyo. He won't harm you, or anyone else. Leave him alone."  
"If you had any brains in that head-"  
Shippo startled Kagome by speaking, "DarkWind's not dangerous! He's nice!"  
" 'Nice'?! He's a Kageri! The both of you are fools."  
"Fools or not, leave him be, Kikyo," Kagome said, "It will all be over soon, so you can just ignore him and he'll go away."  
Kagome moved to the opposite side of the path, walking again. She planned on walking past the Priestess.  
As she approached, however, Kikyo turned to her, and Kagome was surprised to see anger on the other woman's face.  
"Where is the Shikon?"  
"I have it here," Kagome said, putting a hand to her shirt, "It's safe. You act like I give it to him and let him carry it around."  
There was silence. Kikyo watched Kagome in silence for a few minutes, and then spoke again, "Is it true? Have the Handmaidens of Amaterasu come to you?"  
Kagome watched Kikyo quietly for a moment, not speaking, but it was Shippo who spoke, "You mean Lady Izumi? Yeah. She used to come and talk to us. She was really nice." His little face saddened, "She died, though. Mikado visits, but it's not really the same."  
"Mikado?"  
Shippo spoke again, "She's the other Handmaiden. They live in the Heavens, near the Celestial Palace, where the Sun Goddess Amaterasu lives."  
Kikyo looked at Kagome her beautiful face hard, "Why did they come to _you_? Why now?"  
"Because of the war," Kagome said quietly. She saw no reason she couldn't explain what was going on to Kikyo.  
"War?"  
"There's a war for this...world," Kagome said, "Between the Gods and Goddesses here - mainly Amaterasu, and a near-God creature called Keimetsu. That's why this drought is going on, and all the shadow creatures have been around. Things called the Shadelings, and-"  
"Why _now?_"  
Kagome fell silent for a moment, and she shook her head, "I don't know, Kikyo. Maybe Kiematsu just decided to do it now. It...Izumi said something...once...about there being four Fate-Breakers alive at once-"  
"Fate-Breakers?"  
Kagome nodded again, feeling odd, "Yeah. People who don't have a fixed fate. Me, and...and Miroku, and Sango and InuYasha."  
"And me!" Shippo insisted.  
The two women ignored him. Kikyo scowled, "That's the most insane thing I have ever heard."  
Kagome lightly shrugged, "I'm only telling you what the Lady Izumi told me. Because we're Fate Breakers we can't be turned in some way...I don't get it all, to be honest. But that's why. Because we're all here at one time."  
Kikyo looked at Kagome closely, then spoke, "And how am I involved in all this? You and I, we...we're supposed to be..."  
Kagome shook her head, "Lady Izumi said we...we weren't connected, Kikyo. I'm _not_ the reincarnation of you. We're seperate, but joined in another way."  
Kikyo looked shocked, "Another way?"  
Kagome nodded, "We're connected because we both have shards of Midoriko's soul in us. But I'm not...you're you."  
Kikyo stared at Kagome in silence for a moment, absorbing this. Kagome was silent. Kikyo must be feeling a bit relieved, to have finally learned Kagome wasn't her. As Izumi said, there was no way Kikyo's soul could be in two places at once. Even if Kagome was from the future, the minute Kikyo's soul entered Kagome, her soul shouldn't be able to exist outside Kagome. A soul can't be in two places at once, not even in time. Therefore, Kikyo and Kagome were not the same person. But as Izumi had said, they were bound by Midoriko.  
Kikyo's face turned angry, surprising Kagome, "You expect me to believe you have a portion of Midoriko's soul? You, a little girl? You're no Priestess."  
Anger welled up in Kagome, but she fought it back, "No, I'm not. Yet I'll believe what a Handmaiden tells me, Kikyo, as should you. Like it or not, I _do_ have some powers. I've learned to use the Shikon."  
Kikyo blinked, eyes wide. She shook her head, angry, "No one can use the Shikon, Kagome!"  
"Kagome can!" Shippo chirped up, "I've seen her! She's good at it, too!"  
"Shippo, hush," Kagome said gently.  
Kikyo glared at Kagome, and after a moment, spoke.  
"Give me the Shikon."  
Kagome blinked, "What?"  
"I said, give me the Shikon."  
Kagome stared at Kikyo in silence for a moment, then shook her head, "No."  
"I'm not toying, Kagome! The Shikon is my responsibility! It's always been my responsibility! Give it to me!"  
"No! The Shikon _was_ your responsibility, yes! You gave your entire life to it, Kikyo. Why would you want it again? Let someone else deal with it now."  
"You aren't capable of looking after it!"  
"I'm doing _fine_," Kagome said, lowly, "I'm blocking it. Most demons don't even know I carry it, now." She choked back her anger, forced herself to speak levelly, "You're free of it now, Kikyo. Let it go."  
Kagome turned from Kikyo, starting to walk past her, trying to remain calm.  
Behind her, she heard Kikyo speak, "Kagome. The Shikon is mine. As is InuYasha. They will both come to me."  
Anger welled up inside Kagome, a deep, cold anger. She turned, looking back at Kikyo, smiling a chilly smile.  
"The Shikon is mine, Kikyo. It won't come to you. As for InuYasha, if you want him, you can have him. I'll even put a bow on him for you. But the Shikon is mine."  
Kikyo blinked at Kagome, shocked.  
Kagome turned again, and walked on.  
She kept her cool as she walked, fighting down the anger inside her, not wanting to scream in fury like she so desperately wanted.  
She had forgotten Shippo was with her, until he spoke, his voice small.  
"Kagome?"  
"Yes?"  
"You...you didn't mean what you said about InuYasha, did you?"  
Kagome blinked, and turned, looking down at Shippo. The kitsune child was looking up at her, green eyes wide.  
"Kikyo wants to take InuYasha to hell, Kagome! You won't just give him to her like a gift, will you? Don't you still love him?"  
Kagome closed her eyes, strangling back the need to shriek in frusteration. She took a deep breath, then spoke, kneeling down to be on Shippo's eye level.  
"No, Shippo, I _didn't_ really mean that. I was just really angry at Kikyo, and I wanted to...be mean, I guess. To her, not InuYasha. Sometimes that happens, no matter how hard you try not to be. I don't want InuYasha to end up in Hell. But it's InuYasha's choice, in the end, who he goes with."  
Shippo looked up at her, quiet, but he nodded.  
Kagome paused, then spoke, "Please, Shippo, don't tell InuYasha I said what I did? It would hurt him, and I don't want to hurt him anymore, I wanted to upset Kikyo, not him. I wanted to...throw back what she said in her face. You'll understand when you're a little older. It's an adult thing. It's not nice, but it's an adult thing. Don't tell him we saw her at all, ok?"  
Shippo nodded, smiling. This was the Kagome he knew, "Sure, Kagome. Not a word."  
Kagome smiled, "Thanks."

********************************************************  
Back in Kaede's village, InuYasha was drowsing. His back was healed pretty well, but it still ached a little from time to time. He lay in the doorway, the door covering rolled back, his shirt off, lying on his stomach. The sunlight was streaming in, on his back, and the heat was sinking down into his bones, making him sleepy.  
He could hear children outside, running around, laughing, could hear Miroku and Sango talking quietly to each other. He wondered what was taking Kagome so long.  
Outside, in the village, he suddenly heard someone yell, "Demons!"  
InuYasha blinked, half rising up, peering out the door.  
Miroku and Sango were already on their feet, moving out the door.  
"Stay put, InuYasha," Miroku said, "We'll check it out. If it's important, we'll call."  
InuYasha muttered, but laid down again. He was almost too lazy.  
The monk and the demon slayer stepped outside, to see several humans running back from the edge of the village, heading to Kaede's. When they saw Miroku, they turned, pointing back the way they had come, "Demons! Walking towards the village!"  
"How many, and how big?" Miroku asked. Sango removed her weapon, holding it in her hand.  
"Two," one villager said, "One big and one little."  
"How big."  
"Human-sized," the villager said."  
Miroku and Sango exchanged glances. They should be able to deal with these two on their own. They took up positions on the road, the villagers moving back to stand behind them.  
Miroku tensed, holding onto his Holy Staff, Sango getting ready to throw her weapon, when a rustling in the bushes caught their attention.  
They turned, looking, and suddenly, something small erupted from the bushes, throwing itself on Miroku.  
Sango called out in shock, as the monk went crashing to the ground...  
Only to see Miroku, lying on his back, and Sokai sitting on his stomach.  
"_Hi Miroku!_" she beamed, and hugged him tightly.  
The monk looked dazed by the sudden turn of events, and Sango crouched, looking the little girl in the face, "Sokai? What are you doing here?"  
Sokai beamed up at Sango, and the demon-slayer saw the little wolf demon was missing a front tooth, "Kooga and I came to visit! Where's 'Yasha?"  
"Pup, I keep telling you to stop taking off ahead like that!"  
Miroku and Sango looked up to see Kouga walking towards them, shaking his head.  
"I swear, looking after Sokai is worse than an entire pack of pups. The minute you turn your head, she's gone!"  
Miroku stood up, picking up Sokai, "Kouga, I...ah...didn't expect to see you here."  
Kouga crossed his arms, looking uncomfortable, "Yeah, well, Sokai's grandfather asked me to come and talk to mutt-face about something, and I had no way of letting you guys know I wanted to talk. So that meant I had to come _here_." He peered at the humans behind Miroku and Sango, and spoke, "I haven't done anything to anybody."  
Sokai had managed to grow out her pigtails again, and once more they were hanging askew on her head, flopping over. Her bare little feet were as grasstained as ever, her light blue eyes sparkling. She poked Miroku in the shoulder until she got his attention.  
"Where's 'Yasha?"  
"Oh, he's in the hut there," Miroku put Sokai on the ground, but took her arm so she looked up at him.  
"InuYasha was hurt recently-" seeing Sokai's sudden stricken look, he hastened to add, "He'll be _fine_...but he's sore. You might want to put aside your usual...ah...vigourous greeting for now."  
Sokai nodded, solemnly, and then turned. She bolted towards the hut, pigtails flopping, _"'Yasha! 'Yasha!"_  
Miroku was about to call out to her, to remind her, when he saw her stop just outside the hut, and walk in slowly.  
Kouga looked back at Miroku, shaking his head, "She wasn't even supposed to come, but the minute she heard I was coming to talk to InuYasha..."  
Sango smiled, "I can imagine. What is it that brings you here?"  
Kouga's face was serious, "Bad news. I'll tell you inside...is...Kagome here?"  
Sango shook her head, "She's out healing a sick child, but she should be back soon."  
Kouga followed behind them as they walked towards the hut, "Is...that...thing, still hanging around her?"  
Miroku spoke, "You mean DarkWind?"  
"Yeah."  
Miroku nodded, "He's trustworthy, Kouga. He means no on any harm."  
Kouga just made a sound of dismissal, and walked into the hut.  
Sango and Miroku exchanged glances. Ever since Kagome had finally explained to the Wolf Demon Leader they weren't betrothed, that she didn't love him, he seemed to be very uncomfortable around her. Oddly enough, both him and InuYasha had started up a weird friendship of sorts, based on their mutual hatred of DarkWind. The insults had never stopped, though.

InuYasha's ears had pricked up when he heard Sokai's voice call out to the monk, and he blinked. What was Sokai doing _here_?  
He pushed himself into a sitting poition, and pulled his new gi on, loosely tying it, finishing just as the little girl came in. When she saw him, her face lit up, _"'Yasha!"_  
InuYasha smiled, then blinked, shocked.  
Sokai was taller.  
She walked to him, and he prepared himself for a bone-crushing, choking hug, but she just sat in his lap and hugged him tightly, "Miroku said you had owies."  
InuYasha half grinned, smoothing her hair, "They're fine, they're almost healed."  
_Gods Above, how fast do kids grow? She's at least three inches taller than when I last saw her! And she's getting her teeth already?_  
He was suddenly struck with an odd sense of dissapointment. Sokai was growing so quickly.  
"What are you doing here, Sokai?"  
"I came to visit you with Kooga!"  
InuYasha blinked, _"Kouga's_ here?"  
Sokai nodded, pigtails flopping.  
At that moment, a shadow fell over the door, and Kouga walked in.  
He looked around, almost warily, making sure there wasn't anything in here that could get him in trouble, then he walked in, and sat near the door. Being inside a man-made structure felt unnatural to him.  
"Hey, dog-face," he said casually.  
"Flea-bag," InuYasha replied, by way of greeting, "What the hell brings you all the way out here? Don't tell me Sokai ran off again?"  
"No, her grandfather asked me to come and talk to you. Once the pup heard that, well..."  
InuYasha looked at Sokai, who grinned at him, ear to ear, revealing not one, but two gaps in her smile; an eye tooth, and one of her canine teeth. She was already starting to get her fangs.  
InuYasha looked back to Kouga, "What did her grandfather want to tell me?"  
Miroku and Sango came in, sitting inside as well.  
Kouga looked out of the door, gazing outside, "He says to tell you there's something fishy going on up in the mountains, where Sokai's pack lives."  
"Fishy? What do you mean?"  
Kouga looked back, and made eye contact with the hanyou, "Remember that bastard who kidnapped the pup?"  
InuYasha gently laid a hand on Sokai's head, "Yeah."  
"There have been 2 more like him, up in the mountains. And they were asking after you."  
InuYasha blinked.  
"Well, you and your friends, here, actually. Wanting to know when you visit, how often you go up there, crap like that."  
Sokai was silent, listening, unhappy.  
"What did they tell them?"  
"What do you think, mutt-face? They told them to clear out before they became lunch. They were humans, in Wolf Demon territory. They're damn lucky they weren't just killed on the spot."  
InuYasha scowled at the fireplace, thinking. He was starting to get a bad feeling in his stomach.  
"What's going on with them, InuYasha?" Kouga said, "Anything we need to be worried about?"  
"I...don't know," InuYasha said, lowly. He glanced at Sokia, then met Kouga's eyes over her head, "I'll tell you a story a little later. I think I met them a while ago. Twice, actually. Once here, once in Kagome's world."  
Sokai suddenly perked up, "Where's Kagome? And where's Shippo?"  
"Kagome and Shippo are out at the moment," Sango said, smiling at the little girl, "Sokai, would you like to come with me and Miroku to the river? Miroku's about to try and catch some fish."  
"I am? I mean, ah, yes, of course."  
Sokai grinned, "Ok!"  
The little girl took Sango's hand, and they slipped outside, leaving InuYasha and Kouga in Kaede's hut.  
When InuYasha was sure the little girl was out of hearing range, he spoke, "Kagome and I ran into some of those bastards a few days ago. They tried to sacrifice me to some...golem...thing. And I think I met some of them in Kagome's world. I thought they were just some nutcases there, but now I don't know. I've encountered this bell...a secred bell that's supposed to kill demons, but turns me into a human for a while. The guys who had Sokai, the guys who had me, and the guys in Kagome's world, they all had the same bell."  
"Sacred Bells, huh? They're probably common."  
"Not like this. They have a weird marking on them. A weird design. They're red, with a white symbol, like this."  
InuYasha used a claw to trace out a strange scribble on the floor. Kouga peered at it.  
InuYasha spoke again, "At first I never really noticed it much, I just thought it was some weird design. But now that I think of it...all the bells had that symbol."  
"Great. So you've got some nutballs chasing you, and now they're hanging around Sokai's pack. Nice going."  
"Oh shut up!" InuYasha snarled, "They grabbed Sokai first, idiot, they didn't even know me at first. If anything, they could be after Sokai."  
Kouga and the hanyou looked grim.

***********************************  
Time passed. Kagome, DarkWind, and Shippo drew nearer to home, and each was lost in their own thoughts.  
For Kagome's part, she was thinking about Kikyo, demanding the Shikon.  
_Why on earth would she want something that she felt got her killed? Unless she really __**does**__ think that I can't look after it properly.  
But Kaede once told me that Kikyo was often driving away demons who wanted it. That means they could sense it. But I block it. No demons have come looking for it at all. Doesn't that mean I __**can**__ use it properly?_  
She shook her head, _Of course I can use it, I used it as a weapon against Xether. It took a lot out of me, but I used it. Kikyo was never able to do that._  
Despite herself, Kagome couldn't help but feel a little burst of pride in herself, that she had been able to do something that the 'great and wonderful Kikyo' hadn't.  
Mentally, she laughed at herself, _That's pathethic, Kagome, you know that. You're a bigger person than that._  
Suddenly, Kikyo's voice came to her -  
_"As is InuYasha. They will both come to me."_  
Anger bloomed inside her.  
_She just won't give it a rest, will she? She __**can't**__ love InuYasha. She can't! How can you love someone and want them to be dead before their time?_  
Kagome's inner voice spoke.  
_Think about if it were you, Kagome. You died. You loved him, and you died. And then you came back, against your will. In a body of dust and graveyard dirt. And you saw the one you loved, with another woman. That would be hard. So hard. Kikyo must have felt like she was replaced._  
Kagome sighed.  
_But why does she have to be such a...a...bitch?  
Now that I'm acting any better lately..._  
"Are you ok, Kagome?" Shippo asked.  
Kagome looked down at Shippo, and smiled, "Oh yes, just thinking."  
Shippo spoke, innocently, "I think you do a better job of using the Shikon than she ever could, Kagome. No demons even know you have it! And you were able to use it the other day, to kill Xether, and you didn't even have DarkWind with you!"  
"This is very true, Nushi," DarkWind smiled.  
Kagome nodded. She was about to speak, when suddenly, a thought came to her. She stopped in the middle of the path, eyes wide, thinking.  
Shippo and DarkWind stopped, looking back at her.  
"Nushi?"  
Keeping her mental 'gate' shut, she looked at DarkWind.  
"I need you to take me to the hanyou's village. Right now."  
DarkWind blinked, but nodded, "As you wish, Nushi. May I ask why?"  
Kagome startled him when she said, "You may not, actually. I have something private to do there. I want you to take me and leave for a bit. Take Shippo with you. I'll call you when I need you."  
DarkWind and Shippo blinked at her, then at each other.  
Shippo spoke, "Kagome, why can't I come with you?"  
"It's private, Shippo. Please."  
DarkWind looked unhappy, but he nodded, "As you wish, Kagome. Come, Shippo-child."

It was quite late when they finally returned. Kagome pushed back the door covering, blinking to see Kouga sitting across from InuYasha.  
They both looked up, glad to see her. Kouga smiled, "Hey Kagome."  
"Kouga? What on earth are you doing here?"  
"I had to come and talk to InuYasha, and Sokai wanted to visit."  
The little girl poked her head around InuYasha, and beamed, "Hi Kagome!"  
"Oh! Hi Sokai!"  
Shippo walked in, looking around, "Do I hear Kouga? What's he-"  
Shippo was taken off his feet when Sokai tackled him, reserving her usual vigorous greeting to InuYasha for the kitsune. The two children went rolling back out the door, "_Shippo!_"  
"Goodness," Kagome blinked, "I hope she didn't break anything."  
"Eh. Sokai's tough," Kouga smiled.  
Kagome chuckled, "I mean Shippo."  
She looked back at Kouga, and spoke, "What was it you needed to talk to InuYasha about, can I ask?"  
The hanyou spoke first, "It's those creeps that were going to kill me the other day. They've been spotted up around Sokai's pack."  
Kagome blinked, looking at Kouga worriedly.  
InuYasha spoke, "Tell her grandfather if anyone asks, that they don't let on they know me that well."  
Kouga blinked, "What?"  
"I don't want anyone getting into trouble because of me. If it's..._someone else_..." InuYasha motioned towards the door, where Sokai had just vanished, "Then we'll deal with it. But if it's me..."  
"Get off it, Mutt-Face," Kouga said.  
Kagome and InuYasha looked startled.  
Kouga just looked pissed, "You're practically a member of Sokai's pack. We're Wolf Demons. We don't let others talk about our pack, and we sure as hell don't roll over because of them, even if they want us to."  
"Don't be stupid," InuYasha said, hotly, "Tell them what I said."  
"Oh I will," Kouga grinned, "But Sokai's grandfather will probably have a few choice words to say to you next time he sees you. We don't just play dead for anyone."  
InuYasha snorted.  
Kouga turned his attention to Kagome, "Can I talk to you a minute?"  
Kagome nodded, "Sure."  
Kouga stood up, and walked outside, following behind her.  
They walked a little ways from the hut, towards the back, where they were a little more hidden from the rest of the village. Kouga glanced at her, then away, like he wasn't sure how to start.  
Kagome watched him, and spoke first, "How are Hakkaku and Ginta?"  
He smiled, pleased that she asked, "Good. Stupid as ever, but good."  
"I'm glad to hear that."  
Kouga started to speak, "You remember...when you were at my pack's place, and I was telling you about how our pack was so small, and I was worried we'd lose it?"  
Kagome nodded, "Yes. Oh no, did something happen?"  
"No! No. But you told me to let the word out that we had room for any other Wolf Demons who might want to break from their old pack, start fresh."  
Kagome nodded again.  
"Well, I did that...and it worked."  
Kagome beamed, "That's great!"  
Kouga smiled, "Yeah. We already have eight new members, and three of them are women. Which means, some day, pups."  
"Oh Kouga!"  
Kouga grinned, "Hakkaku and Ginta have already insisted they're head over heels in love. I dunno, the thoughts of them having young gives me the shivers."  
Kagome laughed.  
He smiled at her, speaking softly, "Anyway...I just wanted to thank you."  
"You're very welcome."

**************************************************************************  
She sat outside the small hut she was sharing with the older woman, watching the sun set.  
It had been so long since she had really bothered to watch one. For so long she hadn't really noticed, or cared, what the sky looked like as the sun set. Now she found herself speechless.  
_I've missed so much,_ Kikyo thought, _So much was taken from me. Now I feel whole again._  
The stars, overhead, were just starting to come out, faint little points of light. Kikyo looked up, watching them, remembering nights so long ago, when she had watched stars appear. Sitting on the hillside.  
With InuYasha.  
Kikyo looked back to the setting sun, her insides a strange mix of emotions.  
For so long, she hadn't really harbored any feelings for him, other than anger. Occasionally, rarely, she would feel a remembrance of what she used to feel for him. But they were always rare and so far between. More often than not, when she saw him, all she could think about was how she died. How it had felt, to think InuYasha had betrayed her. More often than not, all she could think about was that when she was ready to return to the afterlife, when she was ready to sink into whatever waited for her on the other side, that she would take him with her. He had belonged to her, like the Shikon, and she would take him with her.  
Now, her heart was human, and she found she no longer felt that way. She was still angry, yes, hurt. Especially when she thought about that other girl, Kagome. But now...now that her heart was beating again...she was starting to find she was missing him.  
Kagome's words came to her.  
_"You can have him. I'll even put a bow on him for you._"  
Kikyo was confused. She had thought that Kagome loved InuYasha. She normally accepted the fact that InuYasha was hers, that he would always run to her when she arrived. Certainly, she seemed to mope about it all the time.  
What could have happened?  
"Ah, there you are."  
Kikyo looked up to see the man she had first met in the forest, the one with the strange silver half-mask. He was walking towards her, a smile on his face. For some reason, Kikyo felt a chill run down her spine, but she brushed it away. This man had helped her.  
"Hello. I didn't expect to see you here."  
He stood looking down at her, "I thought I'd come and see how you're doing. Have you settled into...well..being alive?"  
Kikyo smiled, "I have, and I am so grateful to you. I had forgotten how...wonderful...it felt. Colors are so much more brighter...it's ..simply wonderful. Thank your master for me again."  
He smiled, "I shall."  
She studied the man, then spoke, "I never did get your name."  
"Ah, forgive me. You can call me Jenko."  
"Jenko. An odd name."  
"For an odd man?" he smiled.  
Kikyo shook her head, "No, I didn't mean that."  
He smiled again, "It's fine. May I sit?"  
"Of course."  
Jenko sat next to Kikyo, and spoke, "You can tell me if it's none of my business, but did I see you talking to that other woman in the forest?"  
"Kagome?" Kikyo frowned, "Yes."  
"I thought so. I was going to come and see if she was giving you any trouble, but I thought you might not want me to get involved."  
Kikyo smiled, "That's kind of you, but I can handle Kagome. We were...discussing the Shikon."  
"Ah. She's not going to give it back to you, I assume?"  
"Yes..."  
"Ah well. Perhaps you rather be free of it anyway? It brought you unhappiness. You and the hanyou both."  
Kikyo looked at him, startled, "You know InuYasha?"  
Jenko laughed, "Of course! I told you, my master knows Amaterasu's Handmaiden."  
Kikyo looked out to where the sun had vanished below the horizon. Night birds were starting to stir.  
"I heard...the Handmaiden is dead."  
Jenko looked shocked, and he leaned forward, "Izumi? Handmaiden Izumi is _dead_? Are you _sure_?"  
Kikyo nodded, "Kagome wouldn't lie about that."  
Jenko looked out to the horizon as well, thinking. A cold look came into his eyes, a look Kikyo missed. After a second, he spoke again.  
"That other woman...ah...Kagome. She has a Kageri, doesn't she?"  
Kikyo looked back at him, and nodded, "She does."  
Jenko sighed dramatically, "I was afraid of that. She's fallen in love with him."  
Kikyo blinked, looking at Jenko, "What?"  
"I saw them in the forest the other night. They were holding hands, and they kissed. It was _very_ apparent she was in love with him."  
Kikyo's face darkened, "That fool."  
_That explains what she said, then,_ Kikyo thought. _Well, that means it will be easier for her to accept that InuYasha belongs with me._  
The old woman stepped from the hut, looking around, "Priestess, are you here?"  
"Yes, here I am." Kikyo stood up. Jenko stood as well, and bowed to her, "I shall leave you, then."  
Kikyo bowed, smiling, "Thank you, again."  
"It was my pleasure."  
He watched as Kikyo walked to the old woman, and they walked inside, talking. He turned, walking back towards the forest. He took long strides, moving with purpose. After a few minutes, he walked into a small clearing, where his master stood waiting for him, the one who had given Kikyo her life back.  
The master frowned, "So. What have you learned, Jemu?"  
Jemu frowned, "Omek...Izumi is dead."  
The man Kikyo knew as Tsubaro, who appeared to her as a happy, pudgy Senmin, stepped back, blinking in shock. His image wavered, and his true form apepared. His face was pinched and unhappy, but now he was looking at Jemu in shock.  
"What!?"  
"Kikyo said she was dead. Said Kagome said she was dead."  
Omek stared at Jemu, stunned.  
Jemu watched his master in silence. There was something between Izumi and Omek. Omek's infatuation with the woman was well known among the Shadelings. They had apparently known each other at one time. Jemu had no idea what caused Omek to leave the Senmin, to become the vassal of Keimetsu, and didn't really care.  
Omek shook his head, "N-No matter. Our Master still plans on invading. Now that Izum is gone, it will be all that much easier. Already, one of his agents has been placed here. It arrived, so small it was unseen, but it hides deep in the forest, growing. Soon it will be nearly unstoppable."  
Jemu nodded, then spoke, "What do you wish me to do with the Priestess?"  
Omek regarded Jemu in silence for a moment, then spoke, "Do as you're doing. Send Kikyo after InuYasha. Encourage her to go to him. If we can completely drive a wedge between the hanyou and the human woman with the Shikon, the easier it will go for us all."  
Jemu nodded, dipping his head, "As you wish."

Sesshomaru was not happy.  
His dreams last eve were confused, mixed up, and made no sense. He ended up not being refreshed, and Jakken's attempts to put him in a happy mood were not helping. He was making more of a pest of himself than normal, and the day went from bad to worse. Eventually the Demon Lord'd icy glare had sent Jakken back to the general vicinity of Rin, where he decided he would quietly keep an eye on the little girl.  
Lord Sesshomaru had thought that putting Izumi's soul to rest would ease him, and he would no longer be having the strange sensation, that unpleasant _pulling, wrenching_ sensation that he had felt. He had assumed that somehow, he had known she wasn't where she was supposed to be, and when he took her lost soul from the Paths of the Dead, he would feel better.  
He didn't.  
He was still feeling oddly out of sorts. He kept seeing her face before his eyes, as she sat on the ground, dirty, dishevelled, bloody and bruised. The sweet smile on her face. The joy in her eyes as he stood before her. Even though she had no idea who he was...could not remember his name. His very presence had given her joy.  
_"You heard me when I called,"_ she had said, _"You were the light in the darkness.  
Your face was in my thoughts._"  
Sesshomaru remembered the water-woman who had formed before him, in the shape of Izumi.  
Reaching out to him.  
_Had she called me? From the Paths of the Dead? Not remembering who I was, yet calling for me?_  
_"You were the light in the darkness."_  
He looked up at the sky overhead, noticing that stars were just starting to come out. Suddenly, another memory came to him. Of him and Izumi, in the Celestial Palace during the meeting of the Senmin. She had taken him to an observation room, where a giant pinwheel of diamonds had sat in the sky, glittering.  
_"It's called a galaxy,"_ Izumi had told him, _"I like to look at it from time to time. It comforts me."_  
Sesshomaru raised a hand, touching a small package tucked away inside his clothing, at his side.  
_I never had the chance to give it to her,_ he suddenly thought, and felt that same odd _wrench_ inside.  
He was pulled from his thoughts by a small bird. It was a simple little brown wren, sitting on the very edge of a bough, not three feet from him. Small bright eyes watched him, and it chirped.  
Sesshomaru gazed back, quietly. The little bird watched him again, chirping.  
"Do you miss her, then?" he found himself asking.  
A small chirp.  
It was followed by another, and then another. Two small brown birds joined the first, and now there were three perched there. All were chirping at him.  
A fourth bird joined them, this one a vibrant yellow. All four were watching him, curious.  
The demon lord started to hear more chirps, and now, calls. Tweets. Songs.  
He turned, and was slightly startled to see there was a multitude of birds all landing in the trees around him. Some were plain, others vibrant and brilliant. There were even a few species that were known to hunt other birds, yet the smaller ones didn't seem worried.  
All watched him.  
Sesshomaru let his golden gaze move over the avian audience, and then spoke.  
"Why are you all gathered here?"  
They, of course, did not answer, and he felt somewhat foolish even asking.  
Suddenly, the few birds that had been closest to him rose, flying a short distance away. They move several trees down, and perched there, singing, watching him.  
Sesshomaru turned, curious.  
Birds from behind him now flew past, one coming so close he felt it's wingtips brush his shoulder. These joined the four in the farther tree.  
More and more began to leave the clearing behind him, all moving to the next tree.  
Sesshomaru watched.  
They alit in the new tree, singing, chirping, twittering. They jostled for space, but did not leave.  
As he watched, a small brown wren - possibly the first bird he had seen - came back, perching next to him again, and chirped.  
Flew back to the others.  
Flew back to him, cocking it's head.  
Sesshomaru frowned.  
Growing curious, he stepped forward, walking to where all the other birds were now gathered.  
The small brown wren flashed past, flying past the other birds, now moving on to another tree, yet further down.  
Just as the demon lord reached the second tree, the entire tree full of birds left, rising up, flying...  
To a third tree, not 30 feet away.  
"Curious."  
A bird chirped.  
Sesshomaru watched them closely. It was odd to see so many different birds moving together like that, especially with known predators mixed in with them.  
The small brown wren flew back to him again, this time being so bold as to perch on his shoulder. It cocked a small bright black eye at him.  
Seeshomaru spoke before he was aware he was going to, "Are you...attempting to lead me somewhere?"  
The little wren chirped, and flew back to the others, watching.  
Well...he had nothing else to do this eve.  
And so they moved through the forest, the tall demon lord, like a silver flame, moving slowly, sedately through the woods, following a brilliant flock of mixed birds, as they led him tree to tree, tree to rock, boulder to boulder. Occasionally they stopped and pecked at bugs or seeds, but they seemed to be moving together easily enough, and always seemed to wait for him.  
Just as the sun had set, Sesshomaru found himself on a small hill, overlooking a tiny fishing village. Here the birds stopped, paused, and scattered to the four winds, each going it's own way.  
_"Most_ curious," he said, watching them leave.  
He turned, and gazed down into the small fishing village, candles just starting to be lit within the tiny huts.  
_Why was I brought here, to a human village?_  
He stood in the shadows, and observed, his curiosity piqued, and waited to see what would be revealed.

*******************************************************************************  
He awoke with a start, not sure what had brought him out of his sleep. He lay there, that off feeling inside, the one where you lay still, listening for whatever woke you, listening to see if it would sound again.  
It did not.  
InuYasha looked around the small room, where Kagome, Miroku, Sango, and Shippo slept. DarkWind had dissapeared for left, he wasn't sure which. Kaede was inside her small sleeping quarters.  
It wasn't any of them.  
Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his palms, listening.  
Silence. Only a few night birds called.  
InuYasha stood, tying his gi, and slowly walked to the doorway, pushing back the door covering, and looking out.  
There was a brilliant full moon shining down on everything, lighting up the small village. It was so brilliant you could have read outdoors, easily.  
Kouga and Sokai had left earlier, and the little girl had said her goodbyes a little sadly. But she was adapting, and took the short visit well.  
InuYasha slowly stepped down onto the grass outside, looking around. His back ached a little, but nothing too serious. Maybe a walk would make him feel better...  
He started along the small path, lost in thought. He couldn't get Kagome's face out his mind. How she had turned her head from him, when he had asked if she had feelings for DarkWind.  
She couldn't look him in the face, and didn't deny it.  
He huffed.  
Well, that was perfect, wasn't it?  
_Thank the Gods Above and Below he's leaving soon._  
He rubbed the back of his neck, feeling a kink there. For the last few nights he had slept on his stomach, and his neck was feeling weird. Well, no matter. Soon his back would be all healed up. At least he hadn't been a human, when -  
InuYasha suddenly stopped, looking up at the moon overhead.  
A full moon.  
Two nights ago it had been a _new_ moon. Why was it suddenly full? It should only be a quarter-full at the most.  
InuYasha turned, looking around, looking behind him, and now the village had vanished. He was standing in the middle of a great clearing, distant trees standing still and silent like sentries.  
InuYasha's hackles rose. What was going on?  
He turned, looking ahead again, and blinked.  
He was standing near the edge of a very tall cliff. Far, far below was the land, with several villages stretched out. A river ran through them, and there was a large bay. To be this high up, he would have had to have been standing on the side of a massive mountain.  
Clouds drifted by, below.  
Someone stood on the edge of the cliff, and for a moment, InuYasha watched, wary. Was this another trick by a Shadeling?  
The person stirred, as if feeling InuYasha's eyes, and turned, looking back at him.  
He blinked, shocked.  
It was Izumi.  
_"Izumi!"_ he blurted, staring. What...was this a dream? It had to be a dream, Izumi was dead.  
But it felt so _real_. He could feel the grass between his toes, could feel a very slight breeze. The scent of flowers was on the air, a delicate fragrance, and he suddenly realized he could smell Izumi as well, that personal scent of hers, and the lotus scent she seemed to carry with her.  
She was wearing a black robe, midnight black, with no decorations or markings at all. It looked eerily to InuYasha like a death robe, something a priestess or priest might be buried in. Her face was pale, and her eyes were so dark.  
"Izumi, I..." InuYasha just stared at her, speechless, "Are...you real? Is this a dream? It feels so real."  
Izumi didn't say anything, didn't speak, didn't even smile.  
An ache formed inside him, and he spoke, startling himself, "I miss you."  
Izumi lowered her head, bringing it back up again, a very slow, very slight nod.  
"Did you kill yourself? Is that what happened? Why? Why didn't you let me help you?"  
Izumi turned from him, looking out over the village below, and turned back again, holding out her hand to him.  
Swallowing, InuYasha stepped to her, holding out his hand. She twined her fingers into his, and gently pulled him to stand beside her, looking out over the cliff.  
Her voice was very slight, very soft, "Darkness. All is darkness. But my heart...so filled with loving, crying out with all the wonders that I felt."  
InuYasha turned, looking at her, sorrow on his face, "I'm sorry. I killed you, didn't I? It was my fault."  
Izumi said nothing, just looked back at him, face impassive.  
InuYasha's throat started to ache, "You said you would have raised me. Th...thank you, for that. It would have been nice. I think you...you would have been...good for me. It would have been nice."  
Izumi said nothing, just watched his face.  
"I was just...just starting to..." it was starting to hurt to talk. He was somewhat surprised at how deep the grief was starting to form inside him, now that he was seeing her, touching her, "Think of you like family. I wish we could have gotten to know each other better. I wish I had..kn..known you when I was little."  
Izumi regarded him, then lifted an arm, and pointed, out towards the villages below.  
Confused, InuYasha turned, looking out over the villages. He didn't recognise any of them. In the distance, storm clouds were starting to form, lightning flickering in their midst. In the distance, thunder rumbled.  
Izumi spoke, "The only sound is a distant thunder. A tempest rages, so far away from me. I walked...for miles. Towards the sound and storm...where you might find me."  
InuYasha blinked, turning to her, startled, "What? Izumi?"  
She turned, and looked back at him, and now, faintly, a smile, but there was desperation in her eyes as well.  
"Towards the sound and storm.  
Where you might find me."  
"Find you? What do you mean? Where are you?"  
Izumi just met his gaze, desperate, helpless.  
_"Izumi!?"_  
He came to with a violent jump, his Tetsusaiga clattering away from him loudly. Wildly, he looked around.  
He was still lying on his mat, on his stomach, in Kaede's hut.  
He looked towards the door, and it was so dark outside. No moon.  
"InuYasha?" came a voice.  
He turned, startled, to see Kagome sitting up, looking at him, "Are you alright?"  
InuYasha rubbed his face, his heart still pounding, "Yeah. I'm ok."  
Kagome slid out of her bedroll and knelt beside him, "Do you want anything to drink?"  
"No, I'm good."  
Pause.  
"Nightmare?"  
"I...no. Not a...just a weird dream."  
"Do you want to talk about it?"  
InuYasha looked at her, and shook his head.  
"Tomorrow."  
Kagome nodded, "Alright. Tomorrow."  
InuYasha lay his head back down, closing his eyes. He listened as Kagome slid back into her bedroll. But Izumi's face was there behind his eyelids. Watching him. Desperate.  
_"Towards the sound and storm. Where you might find me."_

END 


End file.
